The Second Chance: To Make Things Right
by LysPotter
Summary: The Golden Trio plus Ginny has been sent back to 1976MWPP's last year at Hogwarts. Follow them on their journey. RLxGW, HPxOC, SBxHG, JPxLE, FLxAM
1. Analyze This, Hermione

Summary: Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny are sucked into the Marauders' seventh year. They must learn to live with where they are. Will it work? Will they find comfort--and even love--in their new time? Pairings HPxOC, SBxHG, RLxGW, JPxLE, FLxAM.

Chapter One: Analyze This, Hermione

"You know, Hermione, I swear you think far too much," seventeen-year-old Harry Potter said as they headed back to the Gryffindor common room after the welcome feast. "You were puzzling out the Sorting Hat's song as the first years were being Sorted."

"Didn't you find it interesting? _Four from this time will travel back/Bringing good to the past and light to the future_…Sounded interesting…_Green meets green /Red meets red /Old meets new this—yet not this year_…"

"Look, Hermione, we don't need an analysis on everything the first night back at school," Harry said in concert with sixteen-year-old Ginevra Mary (Ginny) and her seventeen-year-old brother, Ronald Arthur (Ron) Weasley. Harry unthinkingly reached out to open the door in front of them

"That's not where we're supposed to go, Harry…" Ginny's words trailed off as Hogwarts's Head Boy stepped through the doorway. It was a narrow, box-like room. "We really shouldn't."

"Come on in, there's enough room. Hermione, I need you to analyze this for me, just once." The rest of the group stepped into the small room. Hermione looked around in wonder.

"Like in the song! That stanza, _Finding small stone rooms /Four from this time will travel back/Bringing good to the past and light to the future. /Green meets green /Red meets red /Old meets new this—yet not this year_." As if on cue, the room pitched and turned violently.

Suddenly, it dissipated, and all four of them dropped with a thump onto another group of people. It was sunny, outdoors for some reason, and two of the four people they'd just fallen onto were laughing like lunatics. The group was really five people.

Hermione looked down into bright blue eyes, almost covered by long black bangs. "Sorry," she mumbled, standing up. The person below her did the same.

Harry looked into emerald eyes that mirrored his own. He jumped back in shock. Where the hell was he?

Ginny rolled off the person she'd landed on without a glance to see who they were, only a muttered apology as she dusted her black robes. Questioning gold-flecked blue eyes followed her every move, however.

Ron did a double take as he saw Harry's face looking at him. "Sorry, mate," he said quickly. "Didn't mean to fall on you. What was that room, anyhow? You really stuck your foot in it this time, Harry."

"Room?" repeated Harry. "What are you talking about and who are you? I know that hair—A Weasley?"

"Harry? Did you get brain damage or something?"

"No, Ron, you stupid great prat!" from somewhere to his left—in Harry's voice—was followed by a puzzled announcement, "I think you've got the wrong person here," from the "Harry" that lay in front of him.

"What is going on?" asked the boy with gold-blue eyes calmly. "Why did Lily fall on me?"

"Did not! James fell on me, though—his eyes were all funny," a female voice—obviously the aforementioned Lily—retorted firmly. "What _is_ going on?"

"I know girls everywhere are falling for me, but they've never fallen _on _me," the black-haired, blue-eyed boy said casually.

"Sirius, you are such a nitwit," a new male voice, very high and very squeaky for a boy's, came. "You make the lamest jokes in Hogwarts. I'm surprised anyone but you understands any of them."

"I take pride in my jokes!" The boy named Sirius pretended to be offended. Hold that thought. _Sirius_. _Lily_. _James_. Where were they, indeed? Ginny asked herself.

"Hello, whoever you are," the first boy said with an easy smile. "I'm Remus Lupin." Ginny's eyes widened and she gasped.

"Sirius Black," the black-haired, blue-eyed boy added, winking at Hermione, who blushed. Harry stopped brushing dirt off his shirt and flat out stared at the boy.

"Lily Evans," the girl said. Harry emitted a strangled gasp.

"James Potter," the boy who had spoken to Ron said. Harry's eyes were as wide as golf balls.

"Peter Pettigrew," the squeaky-voiced boy said. Hermione's hand clenched into a fist immediately. Ron's eyes narrowed.

Harry's face had gone deathly pale. He looked, wide-eyed, at the five people who had just introduced themselves. James cleared his throat.

"Mind introducing yourselves?"

"Her—Hermione Granger," the young woman said slowly, scanning everyone's faces for any sign of familiarity. She only picked up on Harry and James's resemblance.

"Ginny Weasley."

"Ron Weasley." The redheaded boy elbowed his best friend in the side.

"Oh, right, erm, Harry Potter," Harry said, not thinking of an alias in case they were truly in the future.

"We related?" James asked.

"Yes," Hermione blurted. Harry groaned, his head in his hands. Ginny frowned at Hermione. Hadn't her friend told them about the dangers of messing with time? Ron gaped, not used to this Hermione.

"How?"

"He's your son," Ron put in with a small smile at the two teenagers he was really talking to. Hermione slapped him. "Oww!"

"We don't know that it really is James and Lily Potter, you idiot."

"What did you just say?" Lily said incredulously. "You didn't say Lily Potter? I'm Lily Evans. He's James Potter," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder.

"Bugger. We're making a great mess of this," Ginny commented with a slight shiver. "What year is this?"

"1976, of course," James said, nonplussed. "It's September the second."

"September the second?" Ginny whispered to Hermione. "Backlash," Hermione whispered back as Harry and Ron gaped in shock.

"No, it's 1997," Harry argued.

"1976," James countered.

"1997."

"1976."

"1997."

"As fun as it would be to watch you two argue about the year all day, I need to see Dumbledore," Ginny said, all business again.

"What?" was coupled with "Who's the redhead again? Looks just like you, Lily!" and "You know Dumbledore?"

"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore?" Ginny said in exasperation. Harry snorted with laughter. "Now take us to his office," she ordered. James looked at her as though he thought she belonged in the loony bin. He probably did think so, with the way they were all acting.

"Right little spitfire today, aren't we, Ginny?" Ron said with a snicker.

"Oh, shut your fat face, Ron. We've only just gone twenty-one years into the past. I'm a little frazzled." She turned to Lily. "One redhead to another, please take us to Dumbledore. We're from the future and Harry's going to have a heart attack if you don't."

"Sirius? Dad? _Mum_?" Harry whispered, although only Hermione, Ron, and Ginny heard him. "Either I'm dead or I'm dreaming. Hopefully it isn't heaven, if _he's_ here." None of the future teens needed to ask whom he meant. All of their gazes focused dramatically on Peter. He held up his hands. "What's wrong? Who's the idiot talking to himself?"

"Harry Potter," Ginny said curtly. "Whom you should immediately refrain from speaking to, so as not to upset his delicate internal balance," she added.

"Sheesh, sorry!" he exclaimed.

"I'll take you to Dumbledore," Lily said abruptly. "Follow me."

"Come on, guys," Ginny said to her crew.

"Aye-aye, Captain Weasley," Harry joked, throwing her a salute as they walked toward the castle, Ginny in the lead of the future crew.

"Come off it, Harry. Just follow your mum and keep your mouth shut." Lily was so far ahead—and the Marauders so far behind—that they heard none of what they were saying.

"Yes, madam!"

* * *

"You are from the future?" Dumbledore confirmed. The four nodded. "Ah, it comes together," he said cryptically.

"'Scuze me, but what comes together?" Ginny asked.

"The Sorting Hat sang us a prophetic song yesterday. Your appearance causes me to remember a certain stanza…_ Four not from this time will travel here/Bringing good to the present and light to the future. /Green meets green /Red meets red /Present meets future this year at Hogwarts_."

"The Sorting Hat sang—sings?—something similar in 1997," Ginny stated. "Hermione? Care to do the honors?"

"_Four from this time will travel back/Bringing good to the past and light to the future. /Green meets green /Red meets red /Old meets new this—yet not this year_." Hermione's voice declaimed the stanza once more, this time in Dumbledore's office twenty-two years prior.

"Well, that explains more than it doesn't," Hermione and Lily said at the same time, apparently turning the situation over in their heads. The six teenage boys laughed. Ginny smiled slightly.

"Well," Dumbledore said wearily, "I'll have to give you an assessment exam—seventh year, I think—yes, even you, Miss Weasley. It's not that long, and you can't study. If Miss Evans and Mr.—James—Potter would take Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, and Mr. Pettigrew to the adjoining room so I can talk to you—?"

"Of course, Professor," Lily confirmed.

"So, Mr. Potter, Mr. and Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, if you would?" He opened a hidden door and ushered them in, handing them each three sheets of parchment with questions written all over them.

"So that's it?" Ginny asked, incredulous. "You believe us? Nothing else? Aren't trying to check out whether or not we work for the Ugly Lord?"

"I would assume you meant—?"

"Riddle. Tom Riddle," Harry hurried to clarify. "We've come up with a few choice names for him where—forgive me, when—we come from."

"I remember the look on his face when you called him Moldyshorts," Ginny giggled. Harry elbowed her.

"Your tests await you," Dumbledore reminded them.

"Oh, right," Ginny muttered.

"Thank you, Professor," they chorused as they sat down and picked up the quills lying on the desks in the room.

"You're welcome," his eyes twinkled. Hermione was already scribbling madly on the first question as he closed the door discreetly.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoy this. It's finished, so it should be completely posted soon. LysPotter 


	2. So, Spill

Here's the next chapter. Enjoy! LysPotter

* * *

"That exam was easy," Hermione commented as they headed toward Great Hall for lunch, making Harry and Ron sigh with good-natured hopelessness. "I mean, there wasn't really anything about the Third Goblin War in it at all, and the spell theory questions were really quite easy if you pay attention in anyone's class—"

"We've been through this issue before, Hermione. We don't need to take the exams twice." Harry sighed at his best friend's pointed remark, knowing it had much merit.

"Sorry," Hermione apologized.

"I hope I get into your year," Ginny worried. "I don't think I could be in a class without all of you in 1976. Scary," she whispered.

"Can't be worse than the Chamber of Secrets, can it?" Harry commented.

"Well, no, I guess not," Ginny relented. "But I hope it doesn't happen."

"I wonder what this paper Dumbledore gave me is for?" Lily asked no one in particular. All of a sudden, as if an invisible hand were writing it, Dumbledore's curling script appeared on the parchment.

_Hermione Rose Granger—You could take your NEWTs immediately and graduate with honors, but are hereby placed in seventh year and Gryffindor house_

_Harry James Potter—Seventh year, Gryffindor house—get to know your parents, my boy_

_Ginevra Mary Weasley—Seventh year—congratulations, my dear young woman—Gryffindor house_

_Ronald Arthur Weasley—Seventh year, Gryffindor house—don't want you to be the odd woman out, do we now?_

"Well," Lily said in shock. "Congratulations, all."

"I made seventh year," Ginny whispered, eyes wide.

"Good job, Gin!" Harry smiled.

"So, are there other girls in the dorm?" Hermione said lightly.

"Three, Lynn Andersen, Amelia Bones and Alice McKinnon."

"Amelia Bones?"

"Forget her, Alice McKinnon?" Ginny asked, impressed.

"Yes, she's quite the witch."

"I know she's quite the witch, she's Neville's mum."

"Well, would you look at that. The little Weasley girl knows the girls' dorm."

"She married Longbottom, Frank Longbottom, and had a son," Harry said suddenly "I met her—well, as meeting her as I could get."

"What?"

"At St. Mungo's, fifth year—she and Frank were tortured into insanity by crazed Death Eaters. That had to have been the worst year of my remembered life," Harry said bitterly.

"Why?"

"Because Sirius died on me, that's why! And it was all my fault!" Harry yelled. The five past teenagers looked at him with huge eyes.

"Run that by me again," Sirius asked. "Did you just say I died?" Harry shut his mouth, embarrassed. Hermione groaned. Ron's head dropped into his hands.

"Bugger, we really _are _making a mess of this. The future will already be changed irrevocably, won't it?" Ginny commented.

"We've really messed up this time," Hermione agreed. "Witches and wizards aren't allowed to mess with time."

"Too late," Ron said matter-of-factly. "If Harry hadn't gone ballistic when you mentioned Alice Longbottom—well, McKinnon, I suppose—then we could probably have gone back to the future with no trouble at all."

"No, Ron, there aren't any ways to make a jump that big—and that room disintegrated. Hold on, I know what that was!" Hermione exclaimed. "Square, boxy room. It pitched and turned—it all fits!"

"Care to share your magnificent discovery with the rest of us poor stupid people?" Ron asked, yawning as if it were of no concern to him.

"It was a Time-Trap! Once you close the door, if you activate it—there's no going back," she said slowly. "It won't reappear in the time you travel to."

"Well, at least I get the chance to know my mum and dad," Harry muttered.

"And it's a copy of us that's here. We haven't disappeared from our time," Hermione added. "But we may if we keep changing the future," she muttered. "Don't you think this is a little odd, that the Sorting Hat sent us back?"

"No. It's our big chance, Hermione. If we change history, Mum and Dad won't die, Sirius won't die, Voldemort won't have to because he'll be very, very dead very, very soon, and I can grow up with my parents—but I'll have to act like Dad's brother or something."

"Yes, we can't present ourselves to ourselves and claim that we're them in the future."

"Do you have any idea how wrong that sounded, Ginny?" Harry asked. "You better not run into your mum. She'll have kittens—I'm not sure she's even married your dad yet."

"Eew! Harry, that was a positively disgusting thought I could have very well lived without. Besides, they have to be married, Bill's three, Charlie's two, and Percy's just born now."

"Yes, well, if we fix it, no one here will die, and no one here will go to Azkaban—hopefully, anyway."

"Do you know what You-Know-Who would do for the kind of information you all have?" James asked, cutting into their conversation.

"Call him Voldemort. Fear of a name only increases fear of a thing itself," Hermione said absently.

"Hey, if Tom's memory had been in communication with his sixteen-year-old self, you'd probably already be dead," Ginny commented. "He's a possessed freak."

"No, he's not possessed, he's possessive," Harry joked. Ginny laughed dryly. "Look, Harry, I didn't have the time of my life lying half-dead on the floor of the Chamber. I'm actually trying to forget it ever happened." Harry shrugged. Ginny sighed. She knew she'd never actually be able to forget the Chamber of Secrets.

"Well, somehow I can't," Harry said frankly. "Got to keep all my little incidences with Voldemort written up. That was—what, number three?"

"Let's see, when you were one, when you were eleven, twelve, fourteen, fifteen, I don't think you saw him sixth year—did you?"

"No. Not him, exactly. A bunch of his little lackeys, but not himself—the coward," Harry spit out.

"That's his job," Ginny smiled brightly. Harry rolled his eyes. "You know it is. It's what all Dark Lords specialize in. Cowardliness."

The rest of the group had been watching this exchange curiously. James was very confused; he could have looked nothing more like he was puzzling over an exam question. Lily appeared thoughtful. Sirius was watching with enormous eyes. Remus looked mildly interested. Peter looked nervous—like always. But Ron and Hermione were just watching, one eyebrow raised, patiently waiting for the two to stop.

"Whoops." Ginny giggled.

"So what am I like in the future?" James recovered jauntily.

"Six feet under, stone cold," Harry muttered so that only his friends from the future could hear him. "Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "You shouldn't talk about your father like that."

"Well, it's true!"

"It would appear you know us all in the future," Lily commented. "What am I like?"

"Just like James," Harry muttered again.

"Harry James Potter! This is your mum you're talking about," Hermione said angrily. "If I ever said anything like that to my parents, twenty-one years younger or not, I know I would have gone straight to my room," she huffed.

"Mum?" Lily said, voice strangled.

"Oops," Hermione whispered.

"Hey, Prongsie! Looks like you get Evans—sorry, Lily—after all!"

"Sirius, you insensitive wart," Ginny said in a businesslike tone. "That is not a tactful thing to say. I think Lily's going to have a heart attack. Harry, go help your mother, would you?"

"I…Merlin…Lily…Harry…impossible…no way…" James looked like he was choking on something.

"James, shut your mouth before a fly comes in," Remus said dryly. He slid a thumb under his friend's chin and jammed his mouth shut.

"But, hey, he's right, it would be impossible. How long would it take Jamesie here to get his Lily?" This brought Remus's hand to the back of his friend's head. "Owww! Mooonyyyyy! What gives?"

"You scream like a dying cow," Harry observed.

"Impudent little—"

"Can't use that, I'm as old as you are—maybe older," Harry said cheekily.

"Harry," Hermione said in exasperation. "You are acting like a two-year-old!"

"Technically, I'm not even born yet, so I can't be immature or mature—I don't even exist." Harry stuck his tongue out at Hermione. She sighed, not amused in the slightest.

"Well, if you don't exist, you won't mind if I do this!" Ginny said cheerily, before she slapped Harry upside the head.

In a rather hilarious mimic of his godfather, Harry howled, "Owww! Giinnyyyyyy! What gives?" in a falsetto voice.

The Marauders, Lily, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny fell into spasms of laughter, even Sirius, although to most people, ridicule would not have been funny.

"Aren't I the best," Harry claimed.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I saw that!"

"So," Ron interjected, "Who all's in the boys' dorm—besides you four?"

"You assume that there are other boys?" James asked, haughty.

"Aren't there?"

"Well, yes, but that's not the point."

"Well, who are they?" Ron pressed.

"Michael Thomas and Frank Longbottom," he relented.

"Cool. Michael—wait a second, did you say Thomas?"

"Yes, he's a tall, Black kid—"

"You don't think?" Ron's question was directed toward the future teenagers. They all understood his half-question.

"Maybe Dean's not Muggleborn after all," Harry suggested.

"Oh, forget that—Who's on the Quidditch team?"

"Well, me and Sirius, obviously—" Jams began.

"Jamesie's the captain this year," Sirius interjected.

"_As_ I was saying, Sirius and I are Chasers, Mike and Frank are the Beaters, and our Keeper, Seeker, and other Chaser graduated."

"You've got to be kidding me," Ginny smiled.

"What?"

"Harry's the best damn Seeker in the entire world, Ron's actually a brilliant Keeper, and I used to Chase for the House team—or will chase? Never mind—we'll try out, and I guarantee at least Harry will end up on the team. He was on ours—will be on ours? Forget it, I'm sick of tenses—from first year."

"First year? Isn't that illegal?"

"Did that stop him?" Hermione said wryly.

"Where was McGonagall?" Sirius asked with wide eyes.

"Oh, she saw Harry catch Neville's Remembrall—it was his very first time on a broom, too —after a fifty-foot dive. She was getting very desperate to beat Slytherin, so Harry just automatically got the post."

"Just like your dad, hmm?" Lily asked.

"Getting extra for breaking rules?" Hermione asked dryly. "Yes."

"Oh, come on," Harry and James whined.

"You know it's true, mate," Sirius and Ron said in unison. They turned to look at each other, a little startled.

"You four!" Ginny and Remus exclaimed.

"Okay, I must confess that this is starting to scare me," Lily and Hermione said, smiling a little bit.

"Stop!" all seven yelled. The entire hall turned to stare at them. Peter sniggered. "Whoops," Harry whispered.

* * *

You all knew I was insane. Fun, huh? Yeah, I especially like Mike Thomas. Oh, and would anyone mind telling me what a Mary Sue is? Because I'm pretty new, and I have no idea what one of those is. Thanks in advance! LysPotter


	3. Transfer from Siberia?

Yeah, I should be finished posting this today. So anyone who's interested, please say so, because I need a little criticism so I know what to do with the sequel. Thanks!

* * *

Ginny and Hermione were surprised to find two trunks, packed for a school year, at the feet of their respective beds in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory.

"Hermione Granger," the witch read.

"Well, would you look at that," Ginny said. "She can say her own name, little Hermione's all grown up."

"Shut it, Ginny."

"Ginny—that can't be right—_Corner_?"

"Well, weren't you going with Michael?"

"Oh, come on, I dumped him fourth year—well, your fifth, remember?"

"Oh, _right_. Well, let's try a spell to ascertain that everything pertaining to you (let's put your brother in, too, you two are too much like brother and sister to leave him out) bears your name—people will ask about this other Weasley, you know." Ginny shrugged. Hermione frowned at her.

"Yes, well, I don't care, I can't use a fake name!"

"And I think Harry's going to pose as James's brother. It'd be too hard to convince people they weren't closely related."

"Tell me about it. So what's that spell then?"

* * *

"So let me get this straight. I'm your twin brother and I transferred from a private magical school in a remote area of Siberia?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Yes. You've got it!" James said appreciatively.

"Are you sure you didn't make the Siberian place up?"

"Well, so I did, but it makes you interesting…you know."

"_Sure_…And—Ron? Did you do something to your trunk?" The trunk in question began to glow brilliantly silver.

"No! What's going on?" The redhead watched through wide blue eyes as the trunk momentarily rose off the floor. Suddenly the glow disappeared and it fell to the ground with a loud thud.

"Ronald _Weasley_? It said Ronald Corner a minute ago."

"Oh well," Harry said lightly. "Now you can be yourself."

"What was he before?"

"I wonder…I'm not quite sure," Harry said suspiciously.

"Harry!" exclaimed Ron.

"Well, we don't really know you," Remus said practically.

"We know, Moony, you don't know any of us—now, anyway." Harry smiled as the werewolf jumped.

"You—you know?"

"Of course," Harry said.

"You don't care?"

"You're still Remus. Right?" he said mock-suspiciously. The room dissolved into fits of laughter. Harry couldn't believe the turn his life had taken. He was in the same room as his teenaged father, godfather, Remus, and—well, Wormtail. Laughing hysterically. Life was getting stranger--but better--all the time.

* * *

It was dinnertime at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall tapped her fork on her glass as Dumbledore rose to speak.

"We have four transfer students from—a private school in Siberia, it would seem." Harry glared at James, who smiled disarmingly. "Harry Potter, Ronald—Weasley, Ginevra Weasley, and Hermione Granger. They are seventh-year Gryffindors. Please welcome them to Hogwarts with open arms."

"Not likely," James muttered, casting a glance at the Slytherin table, who looked positively furious.

"Is that Malfoy?" Harry said in surprise.

"Lucius Malfoy," James confirmed.

"Not—Professor Snape?" Ginny said in shock, staring at a boy with greasy black hair and a hooked nose in a sallow face.

"Yes—wait, did you just say _Professor_ Snape?" Sirius said, a revolted look on his face. Harry laughed.

"My sentiments exactly," Harry said. "Somehow, you all weren't invited to the vote."

"Snivellus, a teacher?" James said incredulously. "It's inconceivable."

"You know that word? Somehow I think people have the wrong idea of what it means," Hermione told the spelled ceiling.

"And was the individual in question _your_ teacher? Definitely stress on your."

"Yes, for—well, five years for Ginny and six for the rest of us."

"What'd he teach?" Remus asked interestedly.

"Well, he did—does—will teach—Aw, to hell with it. Guess." Ginny dug her fork into mashed potatoes with gusto.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Try again."

"Ah, I see it. Potions."

"You hit the nail on the head, Moony."

"Who _did_ teach your Defense?"

"How many teachers did we have again?"

"Six," Hermione said. At the same time, Ginny said, "Five." The group burst out laughing, although Ginny and Hermione didn't find it al that funny.

"Well, there was—was it Quentin?—Quirrell first year, he had Lord Voldemort growing out of the back of his head, Gilderoy Lockhart second year, fat idiot without any brains, fourth year we had Mad-Eye—Alastor Moody—well, Barty Crouch Jr. posing as Moody, anyway—both of them were off their rockers. Fifth year we had Umbridge, fat ugly toad that had no idea what she was teaching, Fudge's good little puppet. Sixth year Dumbledore switched Snape to Defense and we got Horace Slughorn for Potions." Harry ticked them off on his fingers.

"And your third year?" Ginny reminded him. "My second," she added.

"Fine, third year was the best professor of them all—he knew what he was doing, was actually a fair teacher, and was fully sane. He's also sitting in this room, because he's currently a student here."

"Harry, would you just say it?" Ginny nearly screeched.

"Yes, General Ginny," he saluted her. "Unfortunately, he disappeared once a month." Ginny glared at him.

"Why?" Remus asked, pretty sure he knew where the conversation was headed. "Why did he disappear?"

"He had a certain furry little problem," Harry laughed. Remus gaped at him in shock. The entire group seemed to have forgotten that Lily was not supposed to know about Remus's lycanthropy.

"Moony, a professor?" Sirius pretended horror.

"Don't tell me you didn't see it coming," James scolded. "And it would be Defense Against the Dark Arts, wouldn't it, Moony?"

"Best subject there is," he said with a smile.

"I beg to differ," Lily and Hermione said at the same time. "It's Arithmancy," they chorused. "You take it too?" they said together. The table could no longer keep their straight faces. They broke down, laughing hysterically.

"You'd think you were twins," James said, smiling a little bit. Lily shoved him a little roughly in the arm.

"They're close enough, if Lily has spent half her life in the library," Harry muttered, spearing a piece of chicken on his fork.

"She has."

"Hey!" Lily and Hermione chorused.

"You really need to stop doing that," Sirius said conversationally, twirling his wand in between his fingers.

"You don't know how much that sounded like Tonks. Your cousin once removed through Andromeda," Ginny explained, laughing, when he looked at her oddly. "I _think_ she's about two right now."

"Andromeda named her kid Tonks? Isn't that her married name? Didn't she name her something beginning with M? O? N? Something like that? I think I remember Andy calling her Dora at some point. So D then?"

"No, she names her daughter Nymphadora. You're right, her husband's name is Tonks—Ted Tonks," Harry put in. "She hates her name and calls herself Tonks."

"Oh."

* * *

Okay, so Sirius is a little ditzy. That's what Hermione's there for. DADA class next chapter! Such fun! Is it too obvious that I'm not British? I'm American, but will be moving to Australia this June, in case you were wondering. LysPotter 


	4. Defense Class

Find Alice McKinnon/Longbottomand Amelia Bones in this chappie. If you'd like to hazard a guess at Harry's soon-to-be girlfriend, be my guest.

* * *

"Have you got all your books?" Lily asked Hermione the next morning. Ginny laughed into her pillow, knowing exactly what the scene that followed would look like. Her mother and Hermione had gone through it the summer before her second year—Hermione's third.

"I—think—so," she gasped out, shoving her other Ancient Runes textbook into her overfull bookbag. She counted them.

"Advanced Defense, Advanced Potion-Making, Advanced Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, A Study of Runeology, A History of Magic, 1,000 Magical Herbs and Fungi, Advanced Transfiguration, A Tome of Healing—they are not joking, that _is_ a tome—Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven— Where did that Muggle Studies textbook go? It was just here!" She'd decided to resume Muggle Studies. NEWT classes didn't overlap, so she didn't need a Time-Turner to make them all.

"Merlin!" Alice McKinnon exclaimed, emerging from the bathroom with her blonde hair still damp. She'd only just met the girls last night. "Will you have time to sleep, Granger?"

"Maybe," she hedged. "And it's Hermione."

"Has no one told you Hermione is capable of being inhumanly overworked and underfed and still being her vibrant annoying self?" Ginny said matter-of-factly, clasping the collar of her robes. "Trust me, she was born a workaholic and she's going to die a workaholic. And everything will be more than perfect and on time when she does die."

"Ginny!" Hermione screeched.

"Reckon the boys are up yet?" Ginny said innocently, ignoring her friend's screech.

"Remus will be," Lily said knowingly.

"So will Harry. Though if he's still having nightmares, I'm going to look up that nightmare-free charm in the Library."

"What does he have nightmares about?" Lynn Andersen asked, dragging a brush through curly dark brown hair.

"His godfather died two years ago, and one of his friends the year before."

"Oh," Alice whispered. "Was it—him?"

"Death Eaters," Hermione disagreed. "Both times." She looked at Alice directly. She could see traces of Neville in his mother's face. It made her remember—very well—the day they had traveled to the Ministry and the horrifying way things had turned out.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked tentatively. "You all right?"

"Sorry," she apologized. "Staring into space."

"I know what you mean. What do you have first?"

"Umm—Defense, how about you?"

"Same, obviously. Who've we got it with?"

"The Ravenclaws, of course," Lily said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, right."

* * *

"Put your books away, class," Professor Rowena Blackthorne said as she strode up to the teacher's desk. Her black hair had one brilliant white streak that encompassed one eighth of her hair, and it splayed and pulled back together as she walked up the aisle. "Today we will have a practical lesson to gauge what you know overall."

"Good," Harry murmured. "I love this class—and a competent teacher, too." Ginny poked him and gave him a look that screamed "Shut up!"

"Everyone pair up," she commanded.

James and Lily paired up rather reluctantly, Hermione and Sirius, Remus and Ginny, Ron and Peter, and Harry was left to flounder around looking for someone willing to partner him.

"Would you be my partner?" a female voice said behind him. He whirled around to see a tall girl with almond-shaped green eyes and long curly brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. "I'm Lynn, Lynn Andersen. Gryffindor."

"Harry, Harry Potter—Gryffindor too. Sure, we can be partners."

Harry soon found that this girl was almost his equal in spell casting—they could hold a duel on for ten minutes straight before someone won.

Remus was surprised at Ginny's agility and talent. It rivaled—was possibly better than—his. He sent a Stunner her way. "_Protego_!" she shouted, effectively repelling his spell. Immediately after, she shouted, "_Expelliarmus_! _Petrificus Totalus_!" Remus was caught by surprise. He keeled over, stiff as a board. Ginny caught his wand deftly. Professor Blackthorne walked by. "Very good, Miss—?"

"Weasley, Professor. Ginny Weasley."

"Very good. Not only did you disarm him, you remembered that every human is born with four weapons—their feet and hands. The Body-Bind would effectively save you from a Dark wizard when coupled with the Disarming spell—or even when not."

"Thank you, Professor," she blushed, before performing the counter-curse on Remus and handing him his wand back.

"And you doubted you would make seventh year?" he said, astounded. "You could probably take NEWTs and pass."

"Well, I never took sixth year anything, so watch me fail in Potions today or something. He'll be a git all year about it—hold on, I'm thinking Snape. Slughorn's not _that_ bad."

"I suppose he's a basket of roses compared to Severus as a teacher."

"Well, yes, actually." She looked around the room for their friends. She laughed as she saw Harry stunned by a brunette a few yards away. Ron was beating Peter like nobody's business. James and Lily were sending hexes and jinxes at each other at lightning speed. She would see how they would have been able to 'defy' Voldemort three times. Especially considering who they were. The fourth duel, however, really caught her eye.

Hermione was getting the jump on Sirius. "_Stupefy_!" he yelled.

"_Protego_!" she replied. "_Impedimenta_!" Sirius was thrown to the ground for a moment. Just a moment.

"_Expelliarmus_!" he yelled. She blocked it effectively.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Her responding jinx caused his wand to fly straight into her hand. "_Stupefy_!" she finished with a triumphant grin as the jet of red light took Sirius through the chest. He fell in an arc, slumping to the floor. She could see Harry falter for a minute on the other side of the room. She signaled Hermione, who blushed guiltily.

"Excellent, Miss Granger."

"Thanks, Professor," she smiled. "_Ennervate_," she said softly. Sirius stirred and woke up completely.

"Bloody hell, Hermione," he said with a dog-like shake of his head.

"Language," Hermione tsk-ed. "Sorry, Harry," she mouthed in his direction. He just shrugged.

Harry helped his brunette partner up as Hermione helped Sirius up. "Good Stunner, Lynn. It just missed me."

"Well, that wasn't a bad Body-Bind on your part," she smiled. "Nice working with you. The lesson's about to end."

"Class!" Professor Blackthorne called out. "No homework for today—excellent performances. Mr. Pettigrew, if I may speak to you after class?"

"Yes, Professor," he squeaked, looking more than a little afraid of Professor Blackthorne.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Miss Andersen, don't forget your bookbag—Mr. Potter, I saw that, do you want a detention?" she called as James trip-jinxed the doorway.

"Sorry, Professor," he said nonchalantly, before removing the jinx.

"Thank you. See you all tomorrow."

* * *

"Wow. Great lesson," Ginny said as the group of nine left Transfiguration. "I thought for sure I was going to make the bird smoke or something—but it actually turned into the fork on the third try!"

"Good job, Gin," Ron said glumly—his raven had simply turned into steel just before the bell rang.

"Sorry, Ron, but you _were_ saying the incantation wrong," Hermione said carefully. "It was Argentum, not Airgentume. _Argentum_—it's Latin for silver—well, silver's chemical symbol comes from it, anyway. And they used that because—"

"Hermione, we don't need to know spell theory on every single spell there is—really, we don't," Harry said pleadingly.

"Fine!" she huffed. "I don't care if you all fail your flippin' NEWTs! You can all be sewer-cleaners for all I care."

"Aw, Hermione, you can't be _that_ hard-hearted," James whined. "We need your assistance if we're ever to get into the Auror program at the Ministry!"

"And how did you get in when we hadn't shown up?" Hermione wanted to know. Harry looked a little shocked.

"We did?" Sirius said in wonderment. "We actually made it in?"

"Yes, you did. Harry, I know Sirius told you about that—he didn't?" she asked when he shook his head sadly. "Why not?"

"We hadn't had much chance to talk before he died. I think the last thing he ever said to me was 'Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville, and run!'" he replied soberly.

"Well, talk to me now!" Sirius said loudly. Really, it only caused the whole hallway to turn and stare at him.

"Well," Harry said just as loudly. "Why don't we go to dinner?" he said pointedly. The group automatically rushed toward the Great Hall.

"Right," Sirius said, flushed red.

* * *

Did I mention that Sirius is ditzy? Oh well. You'll get used to it. Er, I hope. Luv, LysPotter 


	5. Dinner with Canaries

Frank and Ally here people! Awesome, isn't it? They're so cute!

* * *

"I forgot to tell you," Alice said excitedly at dinner. "This summer, Frank and I started— well, going out."

Hermione and Ginny exchanged a knowing glance.

"Really?" Lynn said interestedly, momentarily forgetting the piece of chicken dangling from her fork. "How long?"

"Frank would say, 'It just—happened.'" She smiled. "You know boys. I can tell you, for a fact, that it—_happened­_—one month, three weeks, four days, ten hours, and—" she checked her watch, "twenty-six minutes ago."

"Wow, Alice, a little too much information," Amelia giggled.

"Oh, shut up, 'Melia," Alice grumbled mutinously. "Just because you've never had a crush in your entire life on anyone besides Filch—" Ginny giggled.

"I resent that comment," she exclaimed.

"Well, that's nice to know," Alice said mock-condescendingly.

"Alice," she whined.

"Come on now, Amelia, act your age," Lynn teased.

"And you should talk, Lynn," she retorted sharply.

"Much better," the brunette smiled. Amelia sighed huffily and turned back to her food. Lynn chuckled. "You know, it's shamefully easy to push your buttons. If you really want a job in Magical Law Enforcement, you're going to have to become less sensitive."

"Thank you, Lynn, for another exciting and enlightening lecture!" Lily interceded for Amelia, who was looking a little murderous. "Though she's really mostly right, Amelia. You have to keep that stiff upper lip, girl."

"I'm working on it!" she exclaimed. "Don't you think I know I'm too sensitive? My mother tells me all the time!"

"That's okay, dear," Lily said, falsely cheerful. "You're a rules person, they'll want you for the DMLE!"

"Lily, what do you want to be?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"Me? A Healer," she said sheepishly. "When I was little, I wanted to be a doctor, but Healers can do so much more, I thought it'd be good." She smiled shyly.

"That's what I want to be," Ginny commented. "It sounds like such a great job." She smiled at Lily, who nodded.

"I've always favored teaching," Lynn said lightly. "To show a group of people how to do something completely new—that's magic," she finished rapturously.

"Definitely teacher material," Hermione said wryly. "I've always favored that as well."

"Remus? What do you want to do?" Ginny asked of the young man sitting next to her.

"Teach," the werewolf said shyly. "I've always wanted to." He shared a smile with Ginny. She kicked Hermione under the table: she looked ready to blurt out.

"Hermione?" Remus asked innocently, when Hermione screeched, "Ow! Ginny!"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," Amelia said abruptly. "I know Weasleys —Arthur Weasley married Molly Prewett (she's my mother's second cousin once removed, very nice woman) five years ago." Ginny dropped her napkin into a bowl of gravy, her eyes widened to epic proportions, and she nearly snorted pumpkin juice in Amelia's face.

"You didn't know? I thought you must be related."

"Da—Arthur and I are—fourth cousins, you know, so we don't see each other much," Ginny lied. "Plus I've lived in Siberia for the past six years—I haven't been back in ages."

"Do you speak Russian?" Lynn asked interestedly.

"No…our private school didn't speak Russian, so I didn't learn it," Ginny kept lying. "We spoke English, because it was an all-Western European school."

"That's why you don't have an accent," Lynn confirmed.

"Yep," she smiled.

"Harry, what were you doing in Siberia? I mean, since Jamesie boy's here?" Michael (Mike) Thomas asked. James punched him in the shoulder, not liking the nickname. The "James's brother" story had been laid on thick since Dumbledore's speech, and Harry had answered this question many times before.

"Because my ever-strange parents, John and Elizabeth, decided to send me away at birth—and don't ask why," Harry said wearily. "I still don't have the answer to that question." He looked pointedly at James, who just shrugged and turned back to his food.

"Didn't you learn to write in the Cyrillic alphabet?" Lynn said desperately. "Anything out of the ordinary that would make Siberian schooling exciting, just in case I ever want to wheedle Mum into it? Not that I do, but just so I know?"

"Well, no, not really," Ginny said lamely. "We're boring old fourth cousins of a wizarding family here."

"Oh," Lynn said. "Well, I think you're interesting people."

"Well, we like this school better than the Siberian one," Ginny commented, for some reason looking straight at Remus.

"The food there was terrible," Ron put in between huge mouthfuls.

"Ron, that's disgusting. You know I hate it when you do that," Ginny said conversationally. Ron shrugged and turned back to his supper.

"You _know_ he's not going to stop. He hasn't stopped before, it's not like he's going to now." Hermione wrinkled her nose as she watched Ron shovel chicken into his mouth at an alarming speed. She looked a little further down and saw Sirius doing the same thing. "Boys!" she huffed with a frown on her face.

"You hit it right on the Sickle, Hermione," Alice said dryly. "Boys are the root of all this school's problems, especially the Marauders."

"Ahem," James said officiously. "Miss McKinnon, you appear to have forgotten the fact that we are also the roots of all this school's laughter—well, at least, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff's laughter—Slytherin is the object of the laughter," he amended. Sirius cackled gleefully toward the Slytherin table.

"James!" Lily scolded. "You really shouldn't! You're Head Boy!"

"Sorry, Lily, it's too late," he fake-lamented, pointing toward the Slytherin table. All of a sudden, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle Sr. turned into familiar fluffy canaries. Sirius couldn't resist a loud laugh.

"James Potter!" Lily screeched. However, Hermione took a different approach, having seemingly expected this eventuality.

"Ronald Weasley!" Sirius, James, and Ron started laughing, rather uncontrollably. Harry sighed and let his head drop into his hands. Ginny was laughing as well.

"Ron, you really shouldn't have told them about the Canary Creams—that's Fred and George's!"

"They patented it," Harry said wisely. "I should know, I'm their financial backer." Hermione huffed at him.

"I still don't think you ought to have done that, Ronald, even if it is Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle."

"See, even you admit Ratboy—_Malfoy_—Crabbe and Goyle deserve it," Sirius said victoriously. "You admitted it might even be worth it!"

"POTTER!" Lucius Malfoy screeched at the top of his lungs. In an exceedingly comical gesture, both James and Harry whirled around to face the newly transformed blonde.

_So nice to see that pureblooded looks don't change much,_ Harry thought wryly. _Draco Ratboy—_Malfoy (A/N: I love that, by the way)_—is the spitting image of his father_.

The Marauders, time travelers, and the rest of the Gryffindor seventh-years were laughing uncontrollably at this point.

"I meant Potter, not his little twin," the blonde said irritably. Harry raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. Ginny stifled another giggle.

"That's the look Harry gets when he's about to kill someone like Malfoy," she whispered to Alice. The girl stopped laughing and started laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny, McKinnon?" Lucius snarled. His seventh-year girlfriend, Narcissa Black, appeared behind him. "What's going on, Lucius?" she asked innocently.

"Potter, that's what's going on," Lucius ground out. Bellatrix, seeing the startled look on her younger sister's face (she had just failed to graduate the year before) stormed over to the Gryffindor table.

"BLACK!" she howled. "I swear, if you hurt Cissy it'll be the last thing you ever do—" Unfortunately, she had chosen the wrong words. It may have had something to do with the 'last thing you'll ever do' part, but Harry's eyes narrowed dramatically and he stared straight at Bellatrix murderously. Suddenly, in a burst of yellow-green light, she shot from her standing place and zoomed back to her seat, followed abruptly by Narcissa and Lucius, all three with startled and enraged expressions on their faces. _Wandless magic_, Ginny thought wonderingly. _He's got talent for it, it seems._

"Evil, murdering, power-hungry _woman_—what she _did_ to him," Harry muttered. Ginny clapped a hand over his mouth. "A little Slytherin-hungry today, Harry?" she asked innocently, whispering out of the corner of her mouth, "To them she's just an annoying Slytherin girl. Leave it alone, she hasn't killed anyone."

"Yet," Harry murmured.

"Harry," she warned.

"Fine, fine," he placated. Ginny smiled warily at him. Remus shot her a questioning look. She shrugged.

"Were there people like that at your old school?" Amelia asked.

"Oh, trust me, there were," Ginny muttered. "M—Draco for one, don't even want to name the rest of them." She kicked Ron under the table when he opened his mouth.

"Oh, yes," Hermione muttered. "Stupid idiots, the lot of them."

"Aren't you glad you beat them in exams," Ginny said cheerily.

"I should hope I did. Harry and Ron even beat them," she chided Ginny.

"Hey!" the boys in question exclaimed. "What do you mean by _even_?" Harry asked with a straight face.

"Just that," Hermione smiled. "Ron's no great shakes at academics, and you're the best at practical, not theory."

"And you're the queen of both," Harry muttered. Ron called out, "HEY!" at her 'no great shakes' comment.

"Well, mate, you know it's true," Harry said ruefully. "She beats us in just about everything except Quidditch."

"And _you_ know it doesn't sting as much for you because you beat her out in Defense Against the Dark Arts in OWLs and in third year exams," Ron retorted sharply. "It is true, and that's what sucks about it—for me, anyway."

"Aww, come on, Ron," Sirius comforted him. "Not many boys can remember the exact formula for the weird sweets one's brothers come up with, can they?"

"Aww, stop it, Sirius, you're embarrassing him," Hermione teased. Ron's ears were rapidly flushing red. "He can't take much attention—you see, unlike you and James, it doesn't go straight to his head." She smiled at the spluttering teen.

"You know, she has a point there," Lily mused. "Ron, I'm starting to think you're the more sensible of—Siberia's Golden Trio."

"That was what they called you?" Alice asked interestedly.

"Yes, we're considered the equivalent of the Marauders in our ti—school," Hermione hurried to correct her near slip.

"Ginny? Where are you in all this?" Lynn asked politely.

"I'm, as you know, Ron's little sister—I tag around a lot. Occasionally they'll permit me to join them in their death-defying missions—but I survive."

"Good thing, too," Alice said happily. "Then you won't mind explaining what these _missions_ are…will you, Ginny dear? Because defying death seems to be all in a day's work for you four, from where I see it." The expectant smile on her face made Ginny smile back. It was just like sitting with Neville—in female form.

"Maybe some other time," Hermione intervened. "We've got a lot of homework, don't we, Ginny?" she half-lied pointedly.

"Homework—oh, yes! In every subject, practically."

"That's NEWT classes for you. Hate them, myself," Sirius commented. Hermione's hand connected very forcefully with the back of his raven-haired head. "Oww! What was that for, 'Mione?" She didn't question his nickname.

"You dare insult school, the very glue of my existence?" she said, mock-scandalized. "You dare call it the bane of life? You dare to make unjust accusations against it?"

"Hermione!" James exclaimed. "All he said was that he hates classes and homework is a big part of NEWT class work!"

"Ever heard of humor, Prongs?" she said with mock-superiority. "It is something us higher-order humans have. Obviously you aren't up to that level yet, but with a few lessons—"

"I resent that comment!" James shouted, effectively halting Hermione's speech.

"Well, she may or may not have a point," Lily thought aloud. "James has on occasion proved that he can act like an egotistical idiot. But on the other hand, he's shown that he has immense mental capability. As much as I hate to admit it, some of those pranks take a high level of concentration and intelligence to be sufficiently performed."

"This is Lily Anne Evans, I suppose?" Ginny said dryly. "As in prefect-turned-Head-Girl Lily Anne Evans, never had a detention in her life Lily Anne Evans, Marauders' ever-sworn enemy Lily Anne Evans?"

"Well, I can't be their sworn enemy—they're Gryffindors," Lily said logically. "House pride and all that codswallop, I suppose."

"What about inter-House unity?" Hermione asked.

"If that means getting chummy with the Slytherins," Harry, Ron, Sirius, and James chorused, "you wish."

"Well, as I said," Hermione continued as if she hadn't heard the boys, "Ginny and I have a lot of homework, so if you don't mind, we'll just excuse ourselves."

"See you, Hermione, Ginny. Upstairs?" Alice asked. Hermione answered in the negative and Ginny in the positive. "Well, I'll see Ginny, then," she recovered. "Bye."

"Later, Alice."

"Don't get too hung up on Sn—Slughorn's essay," Ron teased.

"There wasn't one," Ginny retorted. "Just because you have a weapon against me doesn't mean you can make fake homework up."

"Go get him, Gin," Amelia cheered.

"Later," she said disdainfully. "He's not worth a brawl in the Great Hall. Really not worth a detention either—he's only my brother."

"Well, bye then," Lynn said, pulling up her bookbag and opening her huge Ancient Runes text on the table. "I'm going to work on homework—with food nearby."

"You _are_ a seventh-year—you can conjure food to some extent," Ginny reminded her gently. Lynn flapped a hand at her.

"Right," Lynn said absently, already chalking down three translations on her parchment. "See you later, Hermione, Ginny. Don't get hung up on an essay or anything." She flipped her free hand at them. "Especially not from Lily's friend the old bat. As soon as he knows you're friends with Lily, he automatically assumes you're the toast of the earth. So watch what you're doing—the Ancient Runes shouldn't be too hard."

"Of course, Lynn dear. Why don't we put a frog in your bed while we're at it," Ginny joked.

"Sure, sure whatever, just go please," the girl said quickly, making shooing motions with her free hand, her mind on her sheaf of parchment and nowhere near Hermione, Ginny, the now-rising Lily, and the other people at the table.

"So what about that frog?" Ginny asked mischievously as they left the table. Hermione elbowed her in the stomach. "Oof! What? Was it something I said?"

"Ginny may have been on to something," Sirius mused. "Hey, Andersen, you wouldn't mind if we pranked your little sister—right?"

"Sure, do whatever you have to, Black, just leave me and my Ancient Runes alone." She scribbled something on the parchment in front of her, completely ignoring Sirius.

"You know, Sirius, you forgot that Andersen doesn't have a little sister," James commented. Sirius smacked himself on the forehead.

"Oh, right," the boy said at once.

* * *

Canary Creams! Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's such a Marauder-type prank, you know. Besides, we can't leave Ron feeling like nobody likes him. Luv, LysPotter 


	6. Quidditch Tryouts

Chapter Six: Okay, don't you know already? It's about Ginny andRemus mainly. Although this one is Quidditch Tryouts.

* * *

A week later, Hermione lurched through the portrait hole, carrying her two bookbags slung over opposite shoulders.

"No free periods at all today—none!" she exclaimed. "I have homework in every single subject I'm taking, plus I promised you three I'd show at Quidditch tryouts today!"

"Hermione, it's no sweat," Ginny said. "Just don't go to the tryouts. We don't mind—we know you need to do homework first."

"And to think, if you'd stayed at our old school, you'd have Head Girl duties as well," Harry teased. "Aren't you glad you dumped that stuff on Lily?" Lily frowned at her son, who smiled innocently.

"Definitely," Hermione stressed.

"Gee, thanks, Hermione," Lily said sarcastically. "Nice to know you have it easy."

"Now, now, Evans," James began.

"You know, _James_, I have a first name. It's Lily. Did you miss the memo?" she said politely. "You seem to have forgotten what my name is."

"Fine, Lily then, we knew you were a flat-out Head Girl when we first met you," James said flatly. "The reluctance to break rules, the supernatural intelligence—it was all there." Lily smacked him. "Oww! Well, you know, it was nothing less than true, oh moon of magical wisdom and smartest woman to grace these halls."

"Prongs, cut the dramatics, she's not buying it," Sirius said unexpectedly. "What my language deficient friend is trying to say is, we think you're pretty darn smart—for a girl."

"Oh, thanks," Lily said grumpily. "If you want to see someone superficially intelligent, take a look at our dear overworked friend here."

"Harassed, more like," Hermione grumbled. "Stupid Professor Slughorn. I'll bet he knew Professor Vector gave us loads. And so did Professor McGonagall, Flitwick, that daft ghost Binns, Blackthorne, Professor Aseret—I swear we've got far to many runes to translate in her class, she's such a monster for homework. Kettleburn, Pomfrey—I could go on and on, but you won't appreciate it anymore than Harry, Ginny, and Ron did in—Siberia," she interrupted herself hastily.

"Quite right, Hermione dear." James checked his watch. "Bugger, time for tryouts. Better get down to the bloody pitch if we want to be there a little early."

"Language," Hermione said absently from the corner where she was furiously scribbling away on a roll of parchment, occasionally referring to her Transfiguration textbook and some books on Transfiguration from the library—her reports were always over-researched. Her quill was moving at record speed, even for Hermione.

"Yes, madam!" he said smartly. "Language, madam! English, madam."

"Oh, go away," she said sharply.

"Fine!" James turned on his heel and walked through the portrait hole.

The Quidditch pitch was bright and sunny that day. Many prospective players showed, both good, and bad—though there seemed to be quite a bit more of the latter and much less of the former, much to James and Sirius's mutual dismay.

First tryout was for Keeper—Ron was the only Keeper who managed to save all five goals attempted by James and Sirius. Informed that he was the new Keeper, Ron said a very quiet, "Thanks," and blushed bright red. James patted him on the back before Ron sat down hard in the bleachers to watch the rest of the tryouts.

Seeker was next. They released two Snitches. Harry caught the both of them in four minutes. James was watching his son with enormous eyes. When he informed the boy he was the new Seeker by a large margin, Harry looked astonished.

"Harry! Even our old Seeker couldn't do that!" Sirius exclaimed. "And McGonagall said he was the best in years!"

"Well," Harry stammered.

"Harry," Ginny whispered to him, "just tell your dad thanks and let us get on with the bloody tryouts, okay?"

"Thanks, James," Harry said. A blush rose in his cheeks.

"No problem—you were definitely the best tryout—hell, the best flyer!"

"No, you don't mean that—"

"Not yet," Remus said. "We haven't seen the Chaser tryouts, James," he reminded his best friend from where he sat scribbling on his own Transfiguration essay.

Ginny smiled at the teenager. When he smiled back, she felt something quail in her heart. She shoved that into the back of her mind, focusing on the first tryouts, trying to scout any talent that would defeat her.

"Ginny, you'd better beat that bloke," Remus said fervently when one tryout failed to make a single goal on Ron. "If you can't and your brother and Harry have been bragging on us for nothing at all, I swear I'll—"

"What, exactly?"

"Hurt myself before the Slytherin team flattens us in the final," he finished, looking over at the castle where most people assumed Slytherin dorms to be.

"Them?" Harry asked. He glanced around them and then said, "We beat them three straight years in our time. And this team has got to be at least a little better than that one."

"Good," James said finally. "Ginny? You're up."

"Beat the socks off them, Ginny," Remus told her. "Please. James and Sirius are no goo whatsoever, so you have to pick this team up off the ground."

"Sure," she said indifferently. "It's been done before." She trotted off, mounted her broom, and kicked up, sailing up into the air with a smile on her face.

"She's a confident one," Sirius commented, hovering by his friends for a moment.

"I like that," Remus said defensively.

"Sounds like Moony's getting some love vibes," Sirius teased.

"Like James hasn't been getting those vibes for years off Lily," Remus scoffed. "And what's he done about it? Nothing."

"Hey!" James exclaimed. "I am right here."

"Shut up—here goes Ginny."

Ginny effortlessly caught the Quaffle Sirius threw her. Looping around the Beaters, Frank and Mike, she feinted left before coming up from the bottom. Ron almost caught it, but it slipped right past him a moment before his eyes got wide and he watched the lightning-fast shot rush past him. It fell into the goal, Ginny smiling victoriously. Ron punched the air and circled around the goalposts to keep himself from yelling at his sister.

She scored the other two goals on her brother with what appeared like ease, but anyone who knew her could tell she was concentrating ferociously on the game before her.

"Ginny Weasley is the new Chaser," James announced in his magically amplified voice. Ginny smiled and accepted congratulations from all her friends, new and old.

James pointed to his throat and muttered, "_Quietus_." He smiled at Ginny. "You know, if I hadn't known better, I'd say you'd been playing since the cradle."

"What makes you think she hasn't?" Harry chuckled. "Hermione said she's been sneaking into the broom-shed and borrowing all her brothers' brooms alternately since she was—I don't know, was it—?"

"I was four," Ginny said sharply. "I told Hermione six, but in all reality, I taught myself when I was four."

"Brooms since four." James whistled. "No wonder you're such a flyer. You, Harry?" he asked, after checking around for any eavesdroppers—after all, it would look strange for twins to ask each other when they started flying—even if they had been separated at birth. They would probably have told each other about all those sorts of things. Or they wouldn't. Oh, fine, he just didn't want anyone to hear him.

"First year. I had to rescue Neville's Remembrall from Malfoy after Neville broke his wrist." Harry smiled. "They put me on the House team—first year—for breaking the rules."

"Just like your dear old dad, eh?" James said proudly. "Getting extra for breaking rules. Well, let's go tell Lily the glad news. I know she specifically wanted to know how her Harry did in tryouts—her words, not mine, she's taking this whole mother thing seriously."

"You know, Harry, Hermione did insist that you got the position unfairly—but she did say you deserved it later, when we had become friends and all," Ron said speculatively, tapping his chin.

"After we saved her from that stupid troll," Harry amended. "You think the Marauders get in trouble, you're nothing compared to us—except we always seem to do the right thing when we break the rules. First, saving the Sorcerer's Stone—that got us, what, one hundred seventy points if you add in Neville's—then, rescuing Ginny from the basilisk, killing said basilisk—"

"Not forgetting that we erased Lockhart's memory," Ron said darkly. "Remember? 'Sword? Haven't got a sword. That boy does, though, he'll lend you one,'" he said in a demented voice. Harry grinned wryly. Ron shook his head, laughing dryly. "And I had to take him to a hospital wing, too. You should have heard him, muttering about things like jam tarts when we walked up the stairs. Not that it was much of a change from his normal self." Ginny snorted.

"Well, that too, and it got us four hundred points, right? Third year wasn't too great. We had a close shave with a werewolf—don't worry, you weren't that bad, Moony, a couple hundred dementors, and an idiot murdering rat," he muttered, thankful that Peter was doing his homework inside. "Fourth year, I did three dangerous tasks, got my arm sliced open by said idiot murderer, saw a friend die, and witnessed a lunatic Dark Lord rise from supposed death, but got one thousand Galleons for my trouble," Harry said, falsely cheerful. "I gave it to two pranksters to start a joke shop."

"True father's son all right," Remus muttered.

"Well, what would _you_ have me do, Professor Lupin?" Harry asked angrily. "It would have been Cedric's if I hadn't convinced him to grab the Cup with me, or trusted that Crouch idiot at all. It had Cedric's name all over it—only his family wouldn't claim it after he died."

"Professor Lupin?" James laughed.

"Well, his voice doesn't change much in about seventeen years," Harry muttered. "And since his Lordship had made a recovery, I figured that we could use some laughs. It helped, though, because next year we had Umbridge, the fat toad."

"Umbridge? As in, recently graduated Slytherin Dolores Umbridge?" Remus asked incredulously. "She's about as intelligent as Crabbe and Goyle."

"Don't we know it," Ginny muttered. "Fifth year, Harry?" she asked tentatively. "If you want to, that is…if you don't, it's okay," she trailed off lamely.

"Fifth year, right," Harry said determinedly. "So, Umbridge, stupid ban from Quidditch—"

"Banned? Why?"

"She gave me a lifelong ban for giving Malfoy what he had coming—he insulted Mrs. Weasley, Mum—er, Lily, that is, and the whole Weasley family," he said tightly.

"And they decided to duel it out in a Muggle fashion," Ginny muttered. "It was better than magical dueling, I swear!"

"He insulted Lily?" James said incredulously. "After she was dead—had been dead for fourteen years?"

"He was Malfoy, what do you think," Harry said wearily. "So, me and George attacked him. She didn't care that we'd been provoked or anything—she always favored Malfoy and the Slytherins—I must have had a dozen detentions with her because I said Voldemort was back."

"What's so bad about a dozen detentions?" Sirius asked. "Prongsie and I have got about two hundred from McGonagall alone."

"This," Harry said savagely, and thrust his right hand under their noses. "I—must—not—tell —lies," he said slowly. "I don't know how many times I wrote it."

"What was she using?" Remus asked with huge eyes.

"Blood quill," Ginny said shortly.

"And you would know why?" Remus shot back. Ginny's eyes widened.

"I—Ah, well," she stuttered.

"Ginny," Ron said warningly. "What did that old coot do to you?"

"Well, she—er—I had a few weeks' worth of detention with her," she said evasively. "Nothing personal." Harry grabbed her hand and pushed up her long sleeve.

"Ginny!" he exclaimed. "That's more than a few weeks! And I would know. _I_ had a few weeks."

"Well, I couldn't keep my mouth shut in Defense, kept saying things Madam Toad didn't appreciate—then I questioned her term plan, and she flipped out."

"I don't suppose your comments would've had anything to do with denouncing Cornelius Fudge, would it?" Harry said sarcastically.

"Well, I said he was a barmy old fool—well, you know he was—is—whatever you want to use—and deserved to be committed to a mental institute—or prison or something. Since she was practically in love with him, I decided that maybe that was what got me in trouble," she said lightly, pulling her sleeve down to hide her hand once more.

"Nothing to do with, 'I must respect adults in authority', right?" Harry asked exasperatedly, pointing toward her hand.

"You know, Ginny, you knew what pushed her buttons," Ron said seriously.

"Yes! And that was why I badmouthed her precious Minister. It wasn't like Fred and George were the only ones retaliating, Harry, Ron."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You were ignoring me, all three of you! I was the 'kid sister' again. You didn't want to associate with me," she said angrily. "I just had to fend for myself while we were back at our Hogwarts, hadn't you noticed? That's why I was hanging out with people like Luna Lovegood— don't get me wrong, she's a great girl, if a little loony at times—and Neville, and that Creevey idiot that was always sucking up to Harry."

"Oh, him, right," Ron said exasperatedly. "Harry, can I take your picture? If I develop it right, will it move, Harry? Can I get your autograph, Harry? Can I kiss you, Harry?" he said in a falsetto voice.

"Ron, you insufferable prat!" she howled. "If it wasn't for you ignoring me, I wouldn't have been possessed! I would have had someone to confide in. I wouldn't have this whole problem right now!" she yelled, and ran toward a small door in the wall. She opened it and rushed in. When Ron tried to follow her, she shut the door with a slam. Ron stumbled back with a shocked look on his face.

"Ron, I don't think she wants to talk to you right now," Remus said softly. "I'll see if I can get her out of there."

"Thanks, Prof.…I mean, Remus," he corrected himself. Remus nodded to him and walked toward the door that Ginny was behind.

"Poor Ginny," Harry whispered. "And it's all my fault, just like Sirius, isn't it?"

"Would you stop that? He was not your fault!"

"Well, you know, as great as it is to hear myself discussed with such importance and awe, I would appreciate it if you were to tell me exactly where and how I died," Sirius ordered, grabbing Harry by the shoulders and propelling him toward Gryffindor Tower. James took Ron beside him. The redhead squawked and said, "I can walk for myself, thanks, James!" Harry shook his head in exasperation. " Let's all head for the dorm room. Mike and Frank won't be there, will they?"

"Not likely."

"Good."

"Do you really want to do this, Harry?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"No."

* * *

Harry James Potter, fictional conundrum. In any case, a side to Ginny we never knew existed! Cool, huh? And we just knew something had to be up with the whole Umbridge thingymajigger. In any case, next chapter up in 5. LysPotter 


	7. Bonding

Chapter Seven: Bonding

Remus and Ginny fluff alert! A little angst and a little humor. Enjoy it!

* * *

Ginny was tucked into a small ball, her head resting on her knees. Tears were pouring from her eyes and silent sobs wracked her petite frame. Her hair was spread over her back and covered her face.

Someone knocked on the door. "Go away, Ron," she called, her voice muffled. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Ginny?" Remus's voice came quietly. Ginny jerked in surprise. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," she mumbled. "It's not locked or anything."

He opened the door slowly and walked over to her, taking a seat next to her.

"You know, it's really odd. Sometimes, you get the feeling that your brother could die and you wouldn't care at all," Remus said softly, running a hand through his hair. "But if your wish suddenly comes true, without any warning at all, you realize your brother's taken a part of you with him. You miss him so much that you can almost hear him when you turn the corner, at the house, on the street, anywhere. And, as much as he annoyed you during his life, he always seems to be just—missing when he's gone. Almost like he's just gone over to his friend's house or something and he'll be back in a few hours. And then he's not."

Ginny wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "Your brother?" She'd never known this side of Remus.

"The same one that gave me the bite killed him," Remus whispered. "His name was Jason. I always called him Jase when I was younger. He would get so annoyed with me. He would yell at me, and I'd always come up with a retort. Then we'd both turn for our room and rush in. But we shared a room, so we'd sit on opposite sides of our beds and pout until someone was the bigger man and apologized."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"I've gotten over it—a little. He would be nineteen now, you know," he whispered. "Probably a Healer of some sort. He was so caring, and I didn't even notice until after he was dead, because we were so caught up in our petty sibling rivalries, you know?" He stared at the ceiling. Ginny stared at him.

"Yes, I know," she whispered. "I have six brothers, and they've all been trying to best each other for years."

"Did he really ignore you?" Remus asked.

"Yes, he was rather preoccupied in those years. Sirius was just out of Azkaban my second year, and we thought he was trying to kill Harry. But he was really trying to get at Wormtail. Then third year, Harry was in the Triwizard and they were having problems just keeping him alive. Fourth year, it was that toad, plus they had OWLs, and then when Sirius fell through the Veil. Fifth year, he was mad at me for dating Michael Corner, then Dean Thomas, and he had his first girlfriend." Two tears ran down her cheeks. "I was just his pesky little sister. Why should he worry about me?" She was desperately trying to keep the tears in. She didn't want to look like a baby, crying about nothing, in front of Remus.

"Ginny," Remus said. "Ginny," he said a little louder, taking her hand in his, "you don't really think that, and neither do Ron and Harry. You know, you're a very special young woman, and that foul toad didn't have any right to force you to carve those words into the back of your hand." She smiled feebly. "Well, I know it anyway. Ginny, you're important to Ron, and I know he's important to you. So why don't you make up, and then maybe we can talk about the Umbridge thing, okay?"

"Sure," she said weakly. "Later, anyway." Ginny took a deep breath, trying not to cry. "She kept telling me that I didn't belong in Hogwarts if I couldn't watch what I said about adults." Another tear coursed down her cheek. "She was probably right. She probably could have kicked me out for saying things like that."

"Ginny," Remus repeated, although he wasn't annoyed in the slightest. "Ginny, she was wrong. You are allowed to speak your mind. And look, this is a silly thing to get upset about. It's in the past." Remus was watching the redhead carefully. She looked strained and tired, but she was watching him intently. At his 'it's in the past' comment, her eyes filled with tears.

"No, it's not," she whispered. "It's in my future." Her head lowered back onto her knees as she fell apart, crying silently.

"Not if you change it," Remus said forcefully. He put a hand on Ginny's knee. She raised her head slightly, her tear-stained face and reddened blue-green eyes obscured by her masses of curly dark red hair. He brushed her hair away from her face. He wiped the tear tracks off her cheeks. "Come on, Ginny, let's go back to the Tower."

She nodded and he helped her up. They didn't, however, drop each other's hands. Remus opened the door and the two hurried back to the Tower.

* * *

"Quidditch," Remus said clearly. The Fat Lady swung open, admitting them. A quiet conversation had been in session over by the fireplace. As James, Harry, Ron, and company turned to find the visitors, the corner hushed. Then Lily beckoned Ginny over. Remus pulled her toward the group.

"Ginny?" she asked tentatively. "Are you all right?" Ginny attempted a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Gin, I'm _really_ sorry I ignored you," Ron began. "It was just that—"

"I know, Ron, it's understandable," Ginny said quietly. "You were dealing with some pretty major things at the moment, so I decided not to bother you. Besides, I knew you'd just work yourself into a right state and start threatening Umbridge like you did Dean and Michael. That wouldn't do me any good," she flashed a smile at him, and this time it was genuine.

"Well," Ron started, then shook his head. "Ginny, that was really just inexcusable. I should have paid more attention to you. You're my only sister, and you deserve my attention." Harry patted Ginny's shoulder. "Heck, here you're my only sibling," Ron muttered.

"And you can bet, as your honorary older brother, that I'm right with Ron," Harry said, smiling. Ginny smiled at him too. She gave Harry and her brother a hug, her way of saying she forgave them—since she was "an overemotional female"—Ron's words, not hers.

"Thanks, Remus," she whispered to the werewolf, and kissed him on the cheek before blushing furiously and rushing up the stairs.

"Did she just go up the Boy's Dorm stairs?" Sirius asked conversationally. Remus gasped and ran up the stairs after her.

Ginny was still bright red when she entered the dorm. She walked over to her bed and sat down hard.

"Hey, Remus!" a voice said cheerfully. "That was a quiet entrance, for you!" It was a boy's voice—it sounded a lot like Dean. Ginny froze. "Damn," she muttered. She decided to play it safe and keep her mouth shut.

"How's it going?" a voice that sounded like Neville's asked. She inferred that it was Frank Longbottom's. "Harry and Ron made the team, huh? Harry's even better than James is. Wonder how long he's been on broom."

Ginny remained silent.

"Remus? Lupin, you there?" the first boy's voice said.

The door opened again. Ginny watched as Remus walked in as if the devil was on his tail. "Hey, Mike, Frank. Did Ginny come in here?"

"Remus? Didn't you already come in and sit down on your bed?" Mike asked.

"No, you idiot, I can't be in two places at once," Remus said tersely. "Oh, there you are, Ginny. Sirius thought it was just _so_ funny! He would, though." His shoulders drooped. Ginny hid a giggle. He sounded awfully exasperated. "I think he changed the staircases, put an illusion on them or something. Prankster to the core, that one."

"No, I probably ran up the wrong one," Ginny said. "I wasn't really watching which way I was going."

"There's a girl in here!" Mike exclaimed.

"Yes, you genius," Remus muttered. "Ginny, you want to leave now, before these boys disturb the whole tower?"

"I think that would be quite agreeable," Ginny agreed. "I would much prefer to go either downstairs or to my own dorm, you know?"

"Later, Remus," Mike called as the two left the dormitories and rushed down the stairs, back into the common room.

"Sorry about that," Ginny apologized. "I really need to watch where I'm going." Lily giggled. James coughed, sounding suspiciously like, "Tell me about it!"

"Well…where were we?" Harry picked up. "Oh yeah, Umbridge," he remembered. "Well, you see, she was a twisted old bat…"

"So, Ginny…" Lily dragged out. "Spill."

"What?" she asked, wide-eyed.

"Someone's got it for Remus," she teased. "Got it bad, you do. I saw how red you were before you ran up the wrong staircase."

"I think you're seeing things," Ginny said flatly. "Coincidentally, did you know that Remus's bed is in the exact same place as mine, in the boys' dorm?"

"And I'll bet Lily's is where James's is, right?" Hermione teased. Lily's hand connected with the back of her head.

"Shut up, you," she said in pretend annoyance.

"Oh, but Lily, you really do get together. Or else, how would Harry have his gorgeous green eyes?" Hermione batted her lashes ridiculously. "He would need you, dear lady!"

"The thought of even hugging James," Lily shivered. "I know we've gotten to the point where we can have civilized conversation and he will call me Lily, but eventual marriage?" Hermione patted Lily on the back.

"It's your destiny," Hermione said seriously. "I'm not kidding."

"I can dream," Lily said dramatically, "that I really married a sensible, down-to-earth man who was perfectly content to leave his hair alone for more than fifteen minutes."

"Aww, come on Lils, you know you like him," Hermione waggled her eyebrows suggestively at her friend.

"You know you're not cut out for that gesture," Ginny threw out, picking up a brush and pulling it through her curly hair.

"Well, I'm still waiting for Miss Ginny to spill," Lily pointed out. "How did the little—chemistry get started, Gin? What happened?"

"Well, I had a little problem with Ron earlier, as you know." Lily nodded. "So Remus comes into the little closet I'm crying in and starts talking about how you think you hate your siblings, but when they really leave, you can't stop thinking about them. Did you know his brother died when he—er, when he," she stuttered.

"If you're trying to avoid mentioning the lycanthropy, I've known about that since third year," Lily said matter-of-factly. Both girls gaped at the tall redhead.

"Well," Ginny recovered immediately. "So, anyway, then he was telling me about his brother —Jason was his name. They'd have these little arguments and then one of them would be the bigger man and go apologize."

"Okay, so you discussed sibling rivalry," Lily prodded. Ginny sighed and tried not to half-cry as she repeated their discussion

"Then I started in on school, you know, second year when Sirius broke out of Azkaban and everyone thought he was trying to kill Harry but he wanted to get at Peter, third year with the tournament, fourth year with Umbridge and Sirius's death, and then fifth year with his girlfriend and all that." Ginny shook her head. "I think he's going to be asking me a billion questions when they're not afraid I'm going to blow up on them."

"Yes, well, you did only mention Sirius in Azkaban, Peter—are you a total idiot, Ginny?—and Sirius's death. Hello? Ginny, we are not supposed to tell the future!"

"Well, yes, but what were you doing when you said that Harry was related to James, and later that Lily was his mum? But then I went off, saying, you know, I was his kid sister, what did he care about me? What was the whole point to being a big brother anyway? He didn't want the worry, he didn't want the responsibility.

"So Remus starts telling me that I didn't deserve any of it, and that I should be a little more confident in myself. You know, the usual spiel. Like that crazy psychiatrist Madam Pomfrey sent me to after the Chamber of Secrets incident. You know, every time I mentioned Tom, he would ask who that was, and then I'd say his name and the man would jump like a scared rabbit—why she sent me to him I'll never know.

"So then, we agree to go back to the Tower, he helps me up, and I don't let go of his hand." She blushed. "So, you know, we're all chummy and everything, and then the whole cheek-kiss thing made me blush like crazy—Hermione, you know how I am. Anything remotely embarrassing and I'm brilliant crimson."

"It's a redhead thing," Lily commented.

"I know." Ginny flushed again. It wasn't like she had longed for red hair—she actually could have gone for the opposite, red wasn't really her kind of color. She tried to think of herself with black hair. Hmm.

Lily smiled evilly. Here was something she had on Ginny. With everything those two had on her, she could use this…

"You know, you just admitted—although without knowing—that you have an hopeless crush on a certain Remus Lupin?"

"Well," Ginny stumbled…

* * *

Ginny and Remus, sitting in a tree...But hey, aren't they just adorable? Next chapter in 5. Luv, LysPotter 


	8. So Spill Again

Whoops. I just realized I've been forgetting the Disclaimer. So, here goes. Anything you recognize belongs not to me, but to the great J.K. Rowling. She is superior and is actually getting paid for her writing! I'm not, in case you were wondering. That should do it for the rest of the story--I hope.

Chapter Eight: So Spill Again

* * *

"So, Remus, what's the big deal? Why call a meeting—without Peter?" Sirius asked, bouncing up and down on his bed. He reached under his bed, pulled out a tin of filched food, and proceeded to stuff himself accordingly. Sirius definitely wouldn't be able to survive for six hours without eating—Remus knew from experience that any time longer than two hours got him whining.

"Well, you see, it was something Ginny said," he hedged.

"Well, spit it out, Moony," Sirius pushed.

"It had something to do with you, Sirius," Remus muttered. "A lot to do with you, you know?"

"Okay, Moony, this is getting old. Just tell us what Weasley said and we can be finished." Remus took a deep breath.

"So, guys, do the words Sirius, Azkaban, and Wormtail ring any bells?" Remus said slowly.

"Say that again," Sirius commanded, sitting bolt upright.

"How about I give you a full quote?" Remus said pointedly. "'Sirius was just out of Azkaban my second year, and we thought he was trying to kill Harry. But he was really trying to get at Wormtail.'" Sirius's jaw dropped. "Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, Sirius's wide-open mouth providing him with an all-too-obvious image of the food he had been eating. Sirius's atrocious manners were legendary--unless you knew him, and then it was just disgusting.

"Me, in Azkaban? Forget that, me, trying to kill Harry? And what does getting Wormtail have to do with anything?"

"I think it's time the Marauders used their secret entrance to the girls' dorm," James said mischievously.

"Oh, Prongs, you're not still on about that stupid stick of wood, are you?" Remus protested fruitlessly.

"Mr. Padfoot likes Mr. Prongs's plan," Sirius said, and Remus shook his head, but went along with his friends' choice. What could he do to stop them?

* * *

James kicked the piece of wood that would allow him access to the girls' dormitory and hopped up the stairs, encouraging Remus and Sirius to follow him. 

"Mr. Moony would like it noted that he is progressing under protest."

"Protest noted," Sirius said. "Now move before I fall down the stairs."

"7th year," James read. "This is them, men. Okay, let's go," he opened the door and walked in nonchalantly, followed by Sirius, who smiled at the room, and Remus, who was currently red with something at least akin to embarrassment.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP HERE?" Lily yelled. "How did you get up those stairs? Why did you feel the _need_ to come up those stairs, and have you ever done it before?" She looked like a veritable McGonagall, with her expression and all.

"No," Remus stated, his blush fading, but his ears were still red. Hermione was reminded of Ron. She giggled until Ginny elbowed her in the side, effectively shutting the brunette up. "First time it's happened. I told you not to, Prongs," he scolded. "She'll get Professor McGonagall up here and we'll be in deep trouble."

"So let's ask our questions and leave," Sirius suggested.

"Okay, main interrogation subjects—Hermione and Ginny. Please have a seat, ladies," James said formally.

"What do you want to know?" Ginny said defeatedly.

"Everything," Sirius said shortly.

"Starting with whatever come first," James added helpfully. "I'm suddenly not so sure we can trust you," he said diplomatically. "So, shoot."

"Well then," Ginny said, "I guess you could say this starts about thirty years ago, with a certain boy named Tom Marvolo Riddle. Smart boy, never broke any rules as far as his professors could tell.

"However, this wizard was a known Parselmouth, and opened the Chamber of Secrets—It'll be important later, trust me—and then left an imprint of himself in a diary. This wizard would go on to have servile friends who could never do enough for him. He would have a serious aversion to Muggles—although he was a half-blood himself.

"Now let's switch to this time. So, Tom Marvolo Riddle—or as you may have figured out by now, Lord Voldemort—is already out killing Muggles and Muggleborns, as part of his 'reign of terror'. The next person that will come into the picture whose life will touch yours is a woman named Sybill Trelawney. She is the great-great-granddaughter of celebrated Seer Cassandra Trelawney. She makes a prophecy. Now, I—happened to overhear—the prophecy's contents. Something along the lines of Harry has to kill Voldemort or Voldemort kills him. It was all on Voldemort.

"'Born to those who have thrice defied him'—that's you, James and Lily, or Frank and Alice. 'Born as the seventh month dies'—it's both Harry and Neville—Neville Longbottom, Frank and Alice's son." Lily's eyes widened to epic proportions and James just gaped at Ginny. "So, three months after Harry's first birthday, October 31, 1981, you're under the Fidelius Charm, James and Lily, and you've changed your Secret-Keeper from Sirius to Peter for confidential reasons. I think it was because Sirius was afraid someone would go after him first, being James's obvious choice and he'd spill the secret—under torture of course. Peter has been a Death Eater for a year—or maybe even longer—now—"

"WHAT?"

"Just let me finish. And he gives your location to Tom—pardon me, Lord Voldemort. On the 31st, he comes to your house—and not for tea, either. He kills James first—" the room gasped— "And then Lily gives herself up for Harry. Voldemort tries to kill Harry, but the Killing Curse rebounds on him because Lily sacrificed herself for him. Harry lives. I think at this point, Sirius found James and Lily and was, you know, checking for pulses, et cetera—and then he found Harry.

"So, Sirius comes out of the house carrying Harry, and then Hagrid says that Sirius can't take him, that Dumbledore wants Harry to go to his other relatives. They still think Sirius was the Secret-Keeper, you see, and that he has been spying for Voldemort—don't get all protective, I didn't think anything, I was barely born at that point.

"So Harry is bundled off to the Dursleys'—Pardon me, he goes to Petunia and Vernon Dursley's home, where they decide to keep him in a cupboard under the stairs."

"Why would you keep a boy in a cupboard?" Lily asked. "Of course. It was the magic, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Ginny said shortly. "So he spends the next ten years there with his enormous cousin Dudley—I swear he's the fattest kid you've ever seen. Around his eleventh birthday, he starts getting letters—the first ones were addressed to 'his cupboard' before the Dursleys got scared of social services or whatever those Muggles call it and moved him to another room in the house.

"So, Hagrid eventually has to bring him his letter because the Dursleys keep burning them. Then he takes Harry to buy his things—on his birthday, imagine that. He has to tell Harry his family history because he's been told that you two died in a car crash—and he knows nothing about Hogwarts, his godfather, Remus, or anything—even Peter. Especially not Peter. I mean, the bloody git's presumed dead—

"Right. Peter. Getting back to Sirius. Right after your death in Godric's Hollow, Sirius is having some troubles. As you can very well imagine, Sirius is a murderous rage. He tracks Peter down. Then Peter starts framing Sirius for being the Potters' Secret Keeper. He cuts off his finger, blows apart the _Muggle_ street with the wand behind his back, and disappears. Sirius, the only wizard that was currently there, was obviously the guilty one—to the Ministry and Barty Crouch Senior, anyway.

"So while the Aurors show up and haul Sirius away, he's just _laughing_. Talk about stupid. Barty Crouch throws him straight into Azkaban for life without a trial. Only problem—he's innocent. You know dementors? Yeah, those tall ugly things that have no fashion sense, that guard Azkaban? They can only suck out your happy thoughts. 'I'm innocent' isn't exactly a happy thought, especially when you're an innocent man convicted of killing thirteen people with one curse stuck in Azkaban for life, no questions asked—only there's the fact that only twelve people died and the man didn't do it."

"So Sirius is locked up by Crouch. What happens next?" Remus asked shakily.

"He's there for twelve years. Harry's had his first and second years at Hogwarts. Do you want those stories now, or do you want your stories? They pick up at Harry's third year."

"Our stories," Remus said decisively. Sirius nodded, shaken.

"So, right, second year—Harry's third, and Hermione's and Ron's too." Ginny smiled. "Well, as you know, Remus was our Defense professor. He saved the compartment we were all in—Neville, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and me—from a dementor. Don't tell Harry I told you, but he fainted because he was hearing Lily scream when, well, Voldemort showed up."

"He kept asking who screamed," Hermione remembered.

"Sirius Black had broken out of Azkaban that summer—"

"But no one's ever broken out of Azkaban!" the Marauders yelped. "It's supposed to be impenetrable!" James continued.

"He was the first, but not the last. Getting on with the story. He'd seen Peter—with Ron somewhere—I think while we were in Egypt. So he was mumbling in his sleep, 'He's at Hogwarts, he's at Hogwarts.' So, they all think he's after Harry, because they've made it out that he's a Death Eater who was up for promotion with Tom—Voldemort, that is—and he's trying to be the next Dark Lord.

"You two didn't even tell Remus you switched Secret-Keepers, so he hates Sirius with a vengeance. No joke. Harry gets the Marauders' Map from Fred and George—I'll bet he'll try to get it back to you. He sees Pettigrew on it. He finds out Sirius's secret—as does Remus, here, and they're all set to turn Pettigrew in and get Sirius's freedom. You offered Harry a place to live with you," she informed Sirius. "Once you were free and all. But there was a little catch," she said guiltily, looking straight at Remus. "You see, well…how do I put it?"

"A certain glowing orb came to visit you," Lily said matter-of-factly. "I'm not an idiot, and I already told you I know."

"Well, I was thinking of a nicer way to break it to his overprotective friends, Lily dear," Ginny said in a mock-cheerful voice.

"How long have you known?" Sirius spluttered.

"Since third year," Lily and Hermione chorused, while Ginny responded, "Second year. Continuing with the story.

"So Pettigrew got away and rejoined his master—doesn't that ending stink—and Sirius was a fugitive once more.

"Fourth year was pretty dull until Voldemort rose from near death, then fifth year Harry thought he had to rescue Sirius from torture in the Department of Mysteries, but it was a lure. Then Sirius came, and his cousin—another Azkaban escapee—sent him through this veil in the Death Chamber. That was how he died," she finished lamely. "Harry completely lost it."

"Wow. So I died," Sirius said typically.

"SIRIUS!" the group yelled.

"Merlin, Padfoot, we've all practically had our deaths laid on our heads—that are currently spinning wildly from all this information, and all you can say is 'So I died'," James said in annoyance. "Lily and I die at twenty-two. You at least get to thirty-seven."

"But you see, now that isn't going to happen, because you won't make Peter your Secret-Keeper," Hermione explained. "And if we go back through it, Harry won't fall for Voldemort's lure—because he knows what it was. He won't have to, anyway, because Harry's dead set on killing Voldemort before he kills any of you, or tortures Frank and Alice into insanity—" she looked at the startled faces around her. "Whoops," she whispered. "I was not going to say that. I really was not going to say that."

"Insanity?"

"That's about right. They don't recognize anyone and have no power of speech." Ginny looked sadly toward Alice's empty bed.

"Well, that's definitely not happening," Lily said with conviction.

"Tell me about it," Ginny replied. "Harry better kick his butt into gear if he's going to kill Tom before Tom kills any of you."

"The Room of Requirement's still here, right?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"And why wouldn't it be?" Ginny responded.

"Room of Requirement? What's that?" Sirius asked.

"Very special room, nothing important, you know," Ginny pretended to wave him off a little carelessly.

"Well, why don't we check it out?" James asked. "I think it would prove interesting, Mr. Padfoot, Mr. Moony. Do you agree?"

"Anytime," Sirius said carelessly.

"Now's better than never," Remus consented wearily.

"Well, let's go then," Ginny said brightly.

* * *

Please forgive my short attention span, and my reuse of chapter names. I love this chapter, even if it's just because Ginny has big long speeches. Isn't it funny? Luv, LysPotter 


	9. Christmas Vacation

Disclaimer: In case you didn't get it before, I'm just a kid trying to be a writer. Please don't sue me. I've only got a few dollars to my name. Thanks:)

Chapter 9: Christmas with the Potters, Easter with the Weasleys?

* * *

When they reached the correct corridor, Hermione had given a squeal of delight and begun to pace in front of the wall. The four teens that belonged in the time stared at her as if she'd lost her marbles. Ginny just smiled secretively.

A polished oak door appeared in the wall. Hermione opened it and ushered them in, Ginny last.

"What did you imagine?" she whispered. Hermione just smiled mysteriously and pushed Ginny into the room.

Ginny entered the living room of the Burrow.

"Oh, Hermione," she sighed happily. "Thank you so much!"

"Couldn't think of any place better!"

"So where are we?"

"We're in the living room of my home," Ginny said, astonishment creeping onto her features as she noticed the tiny picture of her family askew on the wall. "Merlin, Hermione, you have a mind like a steel trap," she admonished her friend. "Thanks," she relented. Hermione smiled at the girl she thought of as her younger sister.

"Ginny?" Remus asked. "Your home?"

"In the future, you silly idiot," Lily explained.

"Lily, leave him alone," Ginny teased her surrogate brother's teenaged mother. Hermione sniggered. Lily frowned at her, a little annoyed.

"Yes, ma'am," she said mock-penitently. "I was hoping that I could invite you over for the Christmas season," Lily began, "but then James invited me to his house and my mother told me to go."

"And so," James said with a flourish, "I was hoping that you, Hermione, Ron and Harry would also care to join us this holiday season at the Potter residence. Well, Harry has no choice if he's going to keep the brother charade up and running, but you and Ron and Hermione are welcome to join us."

"I'd like that," Hermione and Ginny chorused.

"Good," James said finally. "Because Moony and Padfoot are coming too. Peter's got prior plans this year." Ginny's hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

"Well, since we're spending Christmas with you, why don't we spend Easter in my home?" Ginny joked, sweeping her arm around her.

"Sounds good," Hermione smiled at her exuberant surrogate little sister, who proceeded to dance around the room.

"Oh, wonderful," Ginny grinned, twirling Hermione around as the rest of the group chuckled at her antics.

* * *

Ginny sat on her bed with a huge Ancient Runes textbook on her lap. Lily and Hermione were talking about the good and bad things of time travel. She was trying to translate her homework; it wasn't going very well. The constantly raising voices of the two young women were proving damaging to her ears and concentration.

"You could muck up the whole future!" Hermione argued.

"But what if it saves lives? Then it's for the better, isn't it?" Lily countered. "Or is it better for everyone to die when it's not your funeral? Would you rather James, Sirius, and I died?"

"Of course not!" Hermione exclaimed. "Did I say that?"

"No. It was implied."

"Well, don't take things out of context!" Hermione yelled. "I never said I wanted everyone to die, did I?"

"Would you two shut up!" Ginny exclaimed. "I'm trying to translate here, and your yelling isn't making it any easier."

"Sorry, Ginny. But we're having an argument. Go downstairs if you want quiet." Lily turned back to Hermione.

"Fine!" she exclaimed, and retreated downstairs.

"They throw you out?" Remus asked once she got down there. She nodded, frowning. She sat down and resumed translations. "Ancient Runes?" he asked. She nodded again. He showed her that he was also working on it.

"What did you get for ehwaz?" Ginny asked.

"Partnership," Remus supplied. "It comes up in OWLs, remember?"

"Oh, right," she said suddenly. "I remember that. Sorry."

"We should have an ehwaz," Remus said. "We take all the same classes. We can work on homework together."

"Good idea," Ginny said with a blush. "Sounds doable!" And from then on, whenever their dorm-mates threw them out—and even when they didn't—Remus and Ginny always got together in the common room to do their homework in various subjects.

* * *

It was one day before Christmas Break, when the train left. Peter had packed days ago and was now waiting by the Great Hall doors. Ginny was there with him, blue-green scarf wrapped around her neck and a matching angora sweater underneath her Muggle parka and cloak. Hermione stood beside her, Hogwarts, A History wide open as she scanned the earlier version for evidence of house-elves. Lily was playing with the ends of her emerald-green scarf. Ginny edged a little further away from Peter.

"For heavens' sake, where are those blasted boys!" Lily sighed impatiently. "They're probably still packing—"

"I'm ashamed of you, Lily," Sirius said with a wicked smile as Remus, followed closely by Sirius, James, Harry, and Ron, descended the stairs. A few of their trunks looked as though the owners had had to sit on them to close them. "Remus and Harry, at least, were all packed—neatly, can you imagine?—by the time Monday rolled around."

"Like Hermione and Lily," Ginny grumbled. "I wasn't packed until three days ago."

"I wasn't packed until four minutes ago," Sirius countered.

"For heavens' sake, Padfoot!" Ginny exclaimed. "Talk about immature!"

"Right," Sirius said. "This from the sixteen-year-old in the group."

"Padfoot!" Remus chided, pushing his friend good-naturedly. "Leave Ginny alone, she's got a very valid point!"

"Are you also implying that I am immature?" Sirius said with dignity. Ginny's snort of ill-concealed laughter destroyed the mood.

"I was under the impression that he meant exactly that," Hermione said with a straight face. Sirius poked her viciously. "Oww!"

"Hermione! You're supposed to take my side!"

"And why is that?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Because no one else is," Sirius said as if it were obvious.

"Oh, right, I'm supposed to rush to poor little Sirius's defense," Hermione said as if it were a simple forgotten arrangement.

"Precisely," Sirius said crisply, raising an eyebrow at Hermione.

"Where is that damned train?" Ginny said in annoyance. "McGonagall will only show up when it's there!"

As if on cue, stiff, straight-backed Minerva McGonagall came into the hall, looking as stern as ever. Ginny smiled tentatively at her Head of House, who, astonishingly, smiled back at the sixteen-year-old girl.

"The train has arrived. Get in a carriage and make sure you are on the train before it leaves," she said, voice crisp. "You may go." The ensemble—meaning half the school—rushed out the huge doors that slowly creaked open. McGonagall sighed and put a hand up to hold her hat to her head, a gesture that the nine did not miss.

The Marauders-minus-one, Harry, Ron, and the three Gryffindor girls found a carriage without much trouble. Harry smiled and patted a thestral lightly. Hermione smiled tentatively at it—or where she presumed the head to be, and entered the carriage, followed by Harry, and Ron, who just shook his head at the thestral. Ginny looked at it sadly, remembering her recently (soon-to-be?) deceased paternal grandfather, before Remus ushered her into the carriage (he himself pausing to pat one on the head A/N: remember Jason, everyone? Hope you haven't forgotten yet as he pushed her carefully in), climbing in after her and closing the door. The others were looking at them oddly, apparently not realizing the presence of the thestrals and their own inability to see the animals, they having not seen death nor attended one of Hagrid's wilder Care of Magical Creatures classes.

"Okay, so, a run-down on Christmas procedure at my house," James began. "We've got a huge house—okay, so it's a little more like a mansion—Sirius would know, too, just ask him, I'm really not kidding any of you—" Sirius nodded emphatically. "My parents like to entertain during the Christmas hols, you know, like a ball on Christmas Eve and a party on Christmas—" The three girls looked at him, seemingly upset. "What?"

"A ball? James Andrew Potter! You invited three females to your house for Christmas and failed to mention a ball?" Lily exclaimed.

"I have absolutely nothing to wear!" Ginny cried. "There had better damn well be a dress clothes shop in Godric's Hollow, or I will—"

"Relax, there is," James said calmly. "My mum goes every year, usually my sister—she's already married and has a three-year-old daughter named Katie—pardon me, Katherine. Her name's Eileen. She's really not that bad, for a girl. And her husband, Dave—David Arthurson, I mean—he plays a mean game of chess. He might get you, Ron. He's really good—he beats Remus like nobody's business—and Remus plays the best chess game of the Marauders. Didn't he beat you already?"

"No way. Nobody beats me," Ron said with confidence, forgetting that Remus had, indeed, beaten him at his own game.

"Just wait."

"Want to keep that silver shield up, fair knight?" Hermione joked. "Oh, look, it's rusting already. Better drop it now."

"Hermione!"

* * *

Ah, Ron torture in the winter. Doesn't that make you _so_ happy? Sorry, but Ron was made for torture. And if you were wondering why there's no ship for him in the writing,his pairing is in the sequel. The Second Chance: ANew Life. Work in progress. Luv, LysPotter


	10. Potters and Dress Shopping What a Break

A/N: Terribly sorry, but what with my cross-pacific move and all, i haven't had a whole lot of time! my august gift to you from DOWN UNDER!

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize I obviously do not own, unless you've somehow sneaked onto my computer and read this already.

Chapter 10: Potters Galore and Dress Shopping--What a Break!

They reached Godric's Hollow without any further mishaps. James had not been joking when he described his house as a mansion. It was bigger than any house Ginny had ever seen. James laughed at the expression on the petite girl's face. He pointed to a large red G on the front doors (they were taller than Hagrid and as wide as he was tall).

"See, this mansion's been handed down from Godric Gryffindor himself. That would account for its size."

"Gryffindor?" Harry asked.

"The Potters are the last surviving heirs of Godric Gryffindor," James said. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that?"

_Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry._ "In a roundabout way," Harry said truthfully.

"Mum!" James exclaimed as he pushed open one of the double doors and ushered his friends inside, "I'm home!"

"Coming, James!" a cheerful female voice answered. "Eileen, your brother's here!" the voice called.

"Coming, Mum!" a harassed-sounding younger woman replied. "Katie is acting her age again. Though I can't say I didn't expect it."

A tall woman with curly dark hair that was beginning to gray and big blue eyes entered the huge hall with a wide smile on her welcoming face.

"So, James, start with the introductions," she commanded as soon as a younger copy of her with hazel eyes entered the room with a little girl in tow.

"Right," James said. He pointed to Sirius. "This is Sirius Orion Black, he's my best friend, I've known him since the cradle—" he said with a straight face. The two older women frowned at him.

"James," his mother warned.

"Sorry, couldn't resist. Very well, you know Padfoot and Moony of course, this is Lily Evans, the Head Girl and top of our year—no, that's Hermione, isn't it?"

"Joint," Hermione said with a blush.

"This is Hermione Granger," he said grandly, pointing to the curly-haired brunette. "But to really introduce her, I have to introduce the next person. This is Harry James Potter, and he happens to be—well, my son," he finished lamely. "Sort of."

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Eileen said flatly. "That boy's the same age as you are. It's impossible."

"My point exactly," James said. "This is my future son—he's my twin, all right? Just say we were separated at birth or something on accident and we just happened to run into each other or something like that. He hasn't really seen me since he was one year old, so this is a new experience for him as well. Hermione's one of his best friends, as is Ronald Weasley." He pointed to each person in turn. "And this is Ron's little sister, Ginny, who is the smartest sixteen-year-old I've ever met—she's in our year." Ginny poked him viciously. He just smiled crookedly at her, as if to say, _Well, it's true!_

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Arthurson," Ginny said politely with a small incline of her head.

"The same, dear," Mrs. Potter said kindly.

"Eileen," the other woman corrected.

"Well, Mum, the girls have elected that they need to go shopping in light of the ball you told me you were _still_ planning to hold on Christmas Eve."

"Good," Mrs. Potter said decidedly. "Eileen and I were planning to go tomorrow. It'll be a lot of fun, girls. Really, we love shopping, even this late in years."

"Maybe for you, Mother," Eileen laughed. "I'm only twenty-six. Plenty of girls my age still enjoy shopping."

"Sure, Eileen," Mrs. Potter waved her off. "So, let's get you all situated, in rooms and everything. I've put you three girls in adjoining bedrooms. Is that all right with you?" she asked kindly of the three girls.

"Yes, thank you, Mrs. Potter," Ginny spoke up.

"Good, follow me, please." The girls followed obediently.

Up the stairs, through multiple hallways, many right and left turns later, Mrs. Potter found a polished oak door that she pushed open. She pointed her wand at each of the three doors leading off from the huge sitting room they were currently in.

"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," the three girls chorused as their names appeared on the doors to their respective bedrooms. The Potter matriarch smiled and muttered another spell.

"Since I know you'd get lost trying to get here, I've arranged it so that it will appear if you concentrate hard enough. Remus is going to be nearby—he'll show you the dining room, all right?"

"Yes, thank you," Lily spoke for the group. Mrs. Potter smiled and left.

Hermione ventured into her room. She opened the door to find a four-poster bed much like hers at Hogwarts. She liked the familiar furnishings. However, this bed's curtains, spread, and various accessories were a soft shade of blue, like a clear, shining lake. The entire room was the same blue, the blue that Hermione had always loved. She relaxed immediately.

"My favorite color," she smiled, stowing her cloak and Muggle parka in the wardrobe.

Lily opened the door of her room to find a green-and-cream collection that was exactly _her_ idea of a perfect room. She, too, pulled off her cloak and parka, flopping down on the bed in her green turtleneck sweater and jeans. She was at peace with her world—in James Potter's house, of all places.

Ginny's room was, meanwhile, fully outfitted in sleek blue-green, making for Ginny's favorite color scheme. The girl was currently sitting on her bed with a book she'd found on her shelf in her lap: A Time-Traveler's Guide to the Sands of Time: Present, Past, and Future. She was focusing completely on the section labeled "Time-Traps."

_Unfortunately, there is no way to return from a Time-Trap jump. Time-Traps immediately disintegrate and cannot be found once more. In this case, a copy of the time-traveler(s) will slide into the future/past. Their past/future selves will remain untouched, unless they alter the course of events. However, they will not disappear from the time they are in. They are a separate part of their person._

Well, at least she wouldn't disintegrate in front of her friends. Small comforts, weren't there? Of course, it would have been a lot easier to stay at Hogwarts—in 1997 where she knew exactly whom she was, what to do, who to fear, what the problem was. In short, to stay in her world.

"Ginny?" Hermione knocked on the door. "Remus is here to show us how to get to supper." Ginny smiled and marked her place in the book.

"Hey, Ginny," the brown-haired boy said quietly as Ginny came out of her room. "We can only pray that I do not also get lost," he joked. "In any case, follow me—even if we get lost. Sirius and James taught me how to get to the kitchens when I first came here. Couldn't bear the thought of me starving, I suppose," he said with a roll of his eyes.

The next day, the girls woke up rather late—they'd spent the night talking to each other until midnight—at a knock on their respective doors. Ginny, Hermione, and Lily sat bolt upright in bed at the sound of the precise pounding. Hermione picked a discarded book off her lap and ran her fingers through the ends of her hair. Ginny yawned. Lily rubbed her eyes.

"Girls? We are due to go shopping today," Eileen said as she heard the three girls clamber out of bed.

"Give me twenty minutes!" Ginny called.

"Same!" Lily and Hermione chorused.

"Okay—see you in the entrance hall!"

"See you then!"

Ginny took the quickest shower in her life, thankful that this wizarding house, at least, had a shower and working plumbing—and one bathroom each for the girls' rooms, too! She fled into clean clothes, braided her curly hair into two braids, and pinned the long braids into an arrangement on the back of her head. She grabbed her parka, her money, her scarf, and her hat, which she immediately jammed onto her head, careful to keep her braided knot intact.

Lily fought with her curly hair for about five minutes before she came to the conclusion that she would have to wet it a little. That calmed it into loose curls that she could work with. She pulled the top portion of her hair back with a barrette. Then she, too, rushed through the halls to the entrance of the Potter mansion.

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror for a minute and smiled—for once in her life, length had actually tamed out her hair. It now fell in wild curls to her elbows. She pulled a few strands away from her face in a bow and hurried to the hall that Eileen had designated, her shoes clattering on the stone floors.

Mrs. Potter and Eileen were already there, suitably dressed for the weather. Ginny was shrugging into her parka, and each of the three girls was checking her pocket to make sure her moneybag was still there. Lily looked excited, and Hermione smiled at her intellectual equal and current friend (even if they didn't always (or even often) agree about the conditions and restrictions on time travel).

"Ready?" Mrs. Potter asked unnecessarily.

"Of course!" the three girls chorused. They hurried outside and into the charming town of Godric's Hollow. Mrs. Potter flung out her arm when they reached the dress shop, effectively stopping the three girls in their tracks.

"Come on in," she beckoned. "My best childhood friend owns this place. It's very private." A bell chimed as she pushed the door open.

Ginny just smiled at Mrs. Potter and entered the elegant little shop behind Harry's grandmother. Hermione looked interested as she entered behind Ginny. Lily smiled at the homey, rather rustic interior. It reminded her of the small costume shop back home in London, where she had gone to get all her acting costumes.

"Louise! Louise, it's that time of the year again!" Mrs. Potter called out as soon as she entered the shop. A tall, slender, graying-brown-haired middle-aged woman wandered toward them. "And I brought a crowd this time, did you see?" She swept her hand out to indicate the three Hogwarts girls and Eileen, the latter of whom smiled cheerfully and stepped forward to hug the woman.

"So you did, Elizabeth, so you did," 'Louise' said with a warm smile. "Come on back, I'm sure we can find you all something."

"I was so glad to hear that James's friends from school might be coming…And Ginny, Hermione, and Lily _had _to come shopping, it's nearly Christmas Eve," Mrs. Potter commented.

"I know, that it is. I've been wondering when I would see you all, it's been so long. Hmm, Liz and Eileen, a brunette, and two redheads. This might be a stretch—but you know I can do it, Elizabeth," she admonished the woman who had just opened her mouth worriedly.

They picked their way around racks of clothing with some difficulty, but "Louise" kept striding determinedly forward. "I know I've got the perfect for our little brunette back here—saw it just yesterday, and I thought of someone just like you, Miss—?"

"Granger. Hermione Granger," Hermione said with a quiet smile.

"Tell me, Hermione, what do you think of this?" Louise asked, pulling out a rustling dress. Hermione took one look and gasped.

It was a sapphire silk gown with a skirt that barely flared out. The top was embroidered with a design of an eight-pointed star in white. It tapered into a small waist, and the neckline was scooped high enough to appease Hermione's high standards. The star really jumped out at you (just like Hermione's personality).

"It's special for Christmas," Louise explained. "The design is mine, so what do you think?" She sounded slightly anxious.

"It's perfect," Hermione breathed. "I love it. Are you sure it's my size?" she asked nervously. Ginny giggled.

"Well, go try it on, then," Louise shooed her. She smiled tentatively as she took the sapphire gown and retreated into a fitting room. Louise took up guard outside the door. "Tell me when you're ready, dearie, and I'll come fit it for you."

Something caught Mrs. Potter's eye. She wandered over to a pale blue dress with a simple skirt and bodice with draping sleeves that reached to the wearer's knees.

"See something, Elizabeth?" asked Louise. "Just a minute, here's Hermione." She opened the door and beckoned the girl out. She stepped out of the little room with an unsure smile on her face.

"Oh, Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. "It's just right for you!" The gown fit her perfectly to Ginny's—well, untrained eye, but Louise scrutinized it carefully.

"We can take this waist-line in a bit," she muttered through a mouthful of pins as she knelt on the floor in front of Ginny and Lily's best friend, "and the skirt needs a little more hemming if you don't want to trip on it, I'd say. About half an inch up, wouldn't you say, Eileen?" She pointed toward the long skirt.

"Yes," the woman replied, "I can see where she might trip and fall with that. But I think a quarter inch might work better. The sleeves?"

"You're right, they are a bit short," Louise observed. "But I think they might look better that way. You have nice hands, my dear," she addressed Hermione. "The sleeves compliment her hands, don't they, Elizabeth?" Mrs. Potter had been walking slowly around Hermione.

"Yes, the little tapering that usually fits over between the fingers looks very nice in the middle of her hand like that. Leave it, Lou, I like it. You might pull up the waist—Hermione, you're a tad short-waisted, you know? Other than that, she looks very nice." Mrs. Potter smiled at the brunette, who looked up at her anxiously.

"Easy customer," Louise shrugged. "All the pretty young women usually are."

"Thank you, Ms.—?"

"Louise, dear, Mrs. Louise Chapman. But just call me Louise," the woman laughed. "I outgrew titles a while back." Hermione smiled uncertainly at the woman.

"Who's next? Hermione, dear, you can go change back. Hand me your dress and I'll have it fixed as soon as possible, all right?"

"Yes, thank you," Hermione said politely.

"Oh, right, Elizabeth. Were you looking at that one over there?"

"Yes, but somehow I'm not sure it's very good for me."

"Yes, pale blue tends to make you sallow," Mrs. Chapman said heartlessly. "Anything else? That red one you saw last week? I still hold that it would make you eyes stand out." She hurried behind the counter of the shop and pulled out a flame-red gown. Mrs. Potter frowned at her friend, who smiled innocently.

"Louise, you know I hate red with a vengeance," Mrs. Potter said. "I haven't worn it more than twice in my life."

"Out with the old, in with the new," Mrs. Chapman teased. "I'm just kidding, Elizabeth. No, I was thinking more along the lines of blue or purple, maybe white," she smiled.

"What have you got in white?" Mrs. Potter asked. "I'm leaning toward white this year." Mrs. Chapman smiled excitedly and hurried into a storage room.

"Hold on," she called over her shoulder. She reentered the room holding a white satin dress with blue and purple accents.

"A little bird told me you might be wanting white," she giggled. "So, what do you think, Liz?"

"How many times have I told you not to call me that," Mrs. Potter said absently as she accepted the gown from her friend. "It's lovely, Lou."

"It's your size too," she smiled. "I knew you'd like it." She shooed her into the fitting room. "Go, try it on."

"Going, going," Mrs. Potter said in surrender. She closed the door quietly.

"Now, how many left? Three, that's good. Two redheads. Uh-oh. No offense, but red hair goes with almost nothing. I've learned that in past years. I could find something with your eyes," she said to Lily. "They're my favorite green—don't you like them?"

"Only thing good about me," Lily muttered, but said clearly to the woman, "Oh, yes!"

"Eileen, I had something for you too," the dressmaker tossed back as she riffled through racks of dresses. "I know it was here somewhere, it was red—Aha! Found it. Try it on and tell me what you think," she ordered, pointing to an empty room.

"Going, Aunt Louise," the twenty-six-year-old said meekly as she closed the door.

"Elizabeth, are you ready yet?"

"Coming, Louise, coming. Now I know why you asked for my size last month," Mrs. Potter's voice came, she opened the door and stepped out.

"Mrs. Potter!" Ginny exclaimed. "You look wonderful!"

"She's right, Lizzy, you look twenty years younger. You look great!"

"Implying that I looked bad before?" Mrs. Potter demanded.

"Well," Mrs. Chapman stuttered.

"Aunt Louise, you just cornered yourself!" Eileen called from behind her door, a laugh in her quiet voice.

"But Mrs. Chapman is right, Mrs. Potter," Lily said cheerfully. "It makes you look much younger, you know."

"Thank you, Lily dear," Mrs. Potter said gratefully. "So, Lou, will this work?"

"Definitely. It was made for you, literally. Eileen! Get out here, young lady!"

"Coming, Aunt Louise," Eileen called, pushing open the door and emerging in a slightly-too-large crimson red gown with gold accents.

"Well, it's a bit large," Mrs. Chapman said practically. "We'll have to take it in—hem up the bottom an inch or so, shorten the sleeves, I'll play around with the neckline—it's not really your style, the neckline," she commented, plucking at the ruffled collar-like neckline in question. "I'll take in the seams on the bodice, move up the waist—is there anything else you can see, Elizabeth?"

"Not really, come to think of it. It really brings attention to your face, Eileen, the red does. You look good, dearie. Go change back and give your dress to Louise."

"You know, Mum, I'm not three years old anymore," Eileen commented. "Thank you, Aunt Louise. Lily, you next," she encouraged the tall redhead.

"Come on, Lily, be brave," Ginny joked. "Famous Gryffindor courage! You aren't going to be the mother of Gryffindor's next heir for nothing," she added in an undertone. "You have the courage to do this. It's only a dress!"

"Mm-hmm, easy for you to say," she muttered. "I've never gone dress-shopping in my life." She looked toward Mrs. Chapman with a worried sort of smile on her face. "What do you suggest?" The aging brunette studied the redhead intently for a few minutes. She seemed to be muttering to herself.

"Let's try pink," she said finally. Mrs. Potter considered it for a moment. Eileen was already shaking her head. Lily just looked apprehensive as Mrs. Chapman flipped through racks of long, elegant dresses again. She pulled out a long rose-pink satin dress and shoved the dress and Lily into the nearest fitting room.

She changed in record time, emerging in time with Eileen. Eileen took one look and shook her head more vehemently than before.

"I agree," Mrs. Chapman said with finality. "Pink is not your color, my dear," she informed the teenager. "How about blue?" She tossed a new dress at Lily, who hurried to change. She stepped out again a few minutes later.

"We're getting there," said Mrs. Potter encouragingly. "Light purple." Mrs. Chapman found the correct dress and shoved it at Lily, who caught it deftly. Lily was starting to look scared as she retreated to the fitting room. The third dress was even worse than the first. Mrs. Chapman shook her head vehemently.

"No," Mrs. Potter said. "Dark purple." That went with a no vote as well. Light green satin. "Hmm, I don't really think so, dear." Beige silk. "Close, but no cigar." Dark green velvet. "We're almost there—that'll work if there isn't anything else." Green satin with brown silk trim. "Never for a dance, but it looks nice for a costume party." Lily began to despair that there was a dress for her anywhere in the shop.

Finally, Mrs. Chapman decided she'd have to go back in the storage room. "Wait here, Lily," she commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," she said smartly. Eileen scrutinized the girl in front of her. She had changed back into the dark green velvet dress. There were tiny gold stars embroidered all over it. She looked like a medieval princess in the high-waisted dress.

"This is nice, but it doesn't fit your personality," she explained. "You need something light and maybe doubled. Velvet's just too heavy for you now."

Mrs. Chapman came back in, holding a dress in her arms. "Try this one—it's a double. The green first."

"Thanks, Mrs. Chapman," Lily said slowly, retreating into the fitting room. The five other women listened to the rustle of fabric as Lily fled into the dress.

Inside the fitting room, Lily was having some minor difficulties. It was green first, right? Okay—the green first. It was satin, light and cool. She smiled at the feel of the dress. It was almost like she was ten again, dressing up for a Christmas pageant at her primary school or something like that. She picked up the soft cream silk chiffon over-gown next. She slid it over her arms with cautious hands. Checking herself carefully, she boldly opened the door (with only a slight feeling of apprehension, she admitted).

Her teenage friends sighed with delight when they saw Lily. She wondered what she looked like, exactly.

"This white over-gown needs taking in—it's not nearly as clingy as it should be," Mrs. Chapman said through a mouthful of pins. "The dress underneath—it's too loose as well, the top anyway. I will fix that skirt too, it's gone a bit limp, but other than that, you look like an angel, Miss Lily. Tricky customer, eh?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Chapman," Lily said again. She hurried to change back into her own clothes, afraid she would mess up the gown if she wore it any longer than necessary.

"Lily, James will _die_," Hermione said with a giggle as Ginny walked up to Mrs. Chapman.

"I know, Hermione, you told me," she joked.

"Lily, that wasn't even funny," Hermione said. "I have _got_ to be there!"

"You will be," Lily teased.

Ginny was watching Mrs. Chapman with a slightly scared look on her face.

"The other redhead," she smiled at the petite girl. "Let me see, you're pale—but not nearly as freckled as one would expect. Your eyes—very lovely deep aqua, aren't they? Let's try a— ruby." Ginny knew this wasn't going to go over, having tried to wear ruby herself. Nevertheless, she accepted the dress and retreated into the fitting room.

She carefully changed into the ruby velvet gown. She took one look at the dress and knew she'd never wear it, but she emerged from the fitting room with her elegant knot of braids starting to fall apart. She reached up and shoved a bobby pin back into the knot to keep the hair out of her face.

"No. Try yellow." Ginny tried the lemon-yellow satin. "No." Ginny tried pale blue velvet. "Definitely not." Ginny tried peach silk. "Hurry, go change." Ginny tried pale pink satin. "That hair clashes." Ginny tried emerald-green velvet with gold trimming. "Too heavy and that isn't your color, dearie."

"Lou, go check in back," Mrs. Potter ordered. "Preferably something blue-green. Green worked for Lily." Louise threw up her hands and went into the storeroom.

Not five minutes later, she reentered the room with an armful of sleek blue-green satin. "This will be perfect," Mrs. Chapman said with finality.

Ginny accepted the dress and hurried into the fitting room. Lily watched her carefully. "Ginny's going to hook Remus soon enough, especially if she wears that," she told Hermione matter-of-factly. "Opinion?"

"I know she will," Hermione smiled.

"So, how are you, Hermione? Besides overworked?" Lily asked, attempting to make conversation.

"That sums me up," Hermione said wryly. "You could look up overworked in the dictionary and find my picture next to it, I swear. I'm going to murder Binns the next time he gives us an essay."

"Hermione?"

"What?"

"He's already dead."

"Oh, right."

A/N: End it on a happy note, right? All you people who know i'm a hypocrite, plz review anyway!

I promise to give at least one good review on the next story I read if you do...

LysPotter

P.S. Do not spare the flames, I need them to burn my bacon!


	11. Dresses and Dates

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue...I'm donating it all to the 40-hour famine anyway, so there's no point...

On with the Story:

**Chapter 11: Dresses and Dates**

Inside the fitting room, Ginny picked the dress up with careful hands. It was a tight-fitting top with a delicately flaring skirt, blue-green satin with vines embroidered on the top and skirt. The front tapered into a triangular waist, and the sleeves were long and loose, draping off the wearer's arm. The ruffles on the edges were supposed to cover all but the fingertips, she assumed. Or maybe just to the wrist, if you wanted to dance in it. A piece of fluttery material—blue-green chiffon—fell out of the dress.

She picked it up. There was a note attached to it in what she assumed was Mrs. Chapman's handwriting.

_**This veil should be sold with the dress, especially in the event of the dress being sold for Elizabeth's annual Christmas ball. Can be easily fixed to hair with pins.**_

Ginny's eyebrows raised ever so slightly. She fled into the dress (which fit her perfectly, in her opinion), and then picked up the veil and folded it.

She left the fitting room holding the veil. She handed it to Mrs. Chapman, who looked at it with sudden recognition.

"This would look lovely in your hair, Ginny was it?" Ginny nodded. Mrs. Chapman stretched it out in front of the redhead to confirm. She nodded with a smile on her face.

Eileen spoke up. "I don't think there's anything to be done. It looks like it was made for you, Ginny."

"And every dress that perfectly compliments a person's figure has been made for them," Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Chapman chorused.

"You know my mannerisms too well, Liz," Mrs. Chapman laughed. "However, I need to take Miss Ginny's bodice in. It's a little too large. And the skirt needs to be a bit longer. The sleeves seem to be in order. Hold that, they need to be let out. So, I'll have that for you later, Ginny. Liz's is the only one I don't need to adjust. You can take it today, or pick it up when everyone else gets theirs, whichever you'd prefer to do."

"Later," Mrs. Potter decided. "If you don't mind?"

"Of course not, Liz," Mrs. Chapman said courteously. Ginny changed back into her clothes. The girls, one by one, paid for the dresses they'd pick up "on Christmas Eve—the morning, you know, not that night!"

"So we're all set?" Eileen asked. The girls and her mother nodded, stowing their moneybags back in their pockets.

"Let's go, then. See you soon, Lou," Mrs. Potter waved as they left the shop. Mrs. Chapman waved back at her friend.

"There," Eileen said. "That was fun, wasn't it?"

"You know," Elizabeth speculated, "I think it would be fun to make this year's ball a masque." She smiled at the looks on the three teenagers' faces. "That just means you'd have to devise a mask. It'd work out, because both Hermione's and Lily's gowns look somewhat medieval—masques were common in those days. It's a fun custom, actually. You'll probably recognize a lot of them even with their masks—and of course it will be optional, do I look like I'd force someone to wear a mask? Does that sound like fun?" Mrs. Potter looked at the four others expectantly.

"Yes," the four others chorused.

"Good. I'm sending out invitations today. You can come with or without a date," Eileen finalized. "So don't be surprised if one of the boys comes to ask you to go to the ball with him— it's nothing new or serious."

"Okay," the girls agreed.

It was the day before Christmas Eve. Lily, Hermione, and Ginny were all sitting on Ginny's bed. Ginny had shown the Time Traveler's Guide to Hermione. Hermione had been fascinated with the tome and had later given it to Lily. Now they were discussing what would happen to their other selves.

"Well, I'll obviously stay alive now," Lily said. "I'll be able to raise Harry—but no, Harry's already my age."

"Who knows? You could have girls this time around!" Hermione exclaimed. Ginny shook her head with a laugh.

"No, I have a feeling Harry's clone will be born," Ginny smiled. "Maybe he'll have little sisters after that, but I know he will be born."

"Who're you, Professor Oracle?" Ilisinia Oracle taught Divination.

"No, I was thinking more along the lines of a true Seer," Lily said seriously. "Oracle is totally oblivious. Cassandra Trelawney, for instance, was a true Seer. You know, she would be so much a better teacher then Oracle. Too bad she's dead," she added.

At the mention of the name "Trelawney," Hermione and Ginny fell into a bout of helpless laughter. "Trelawney!" Hermione choked out. "That idiot!"

"Not Cassandra," Ginny assured her friend. "Her great-great-granddaughter Sybill. She's as much of a fake as Oracle is. More, actually."

"Oh," Lily said, understanding. "Isn't she the one who made the prophecy Sirius, James and I were killed over?"

"Yes, but she was a fake pretty much otherwise. I think she made about one other true prediction in her entire life. She enjoyed telling Harry that he would die a horrible, gruesome death—when he was young. Except when Harry put out what really happened when Tom— Voldemort—came back to life. Then she said that Harry would live to a ripe old age, become Minister of Magic, and have twelve children," Ginny explained.

"Positively lovely," Lily deadpanned. That set Hermione off again. Her squeaking laugh made Lily and Ginny cringe a little. "Hermione!" Lily exclaimed.

"You know, you laugh like a mouse," Harry commented as he entered the room. "Want to come with us? We're looking for a Christmas tree—and we're allowed to use magic to bring it back, even Ginny because they won't know whose wand did it."

"Well, with the size of Christmas tree we want, it's going to take a strong _Wingardium Leviosa _to lift it," Sirius drawled from the doorway.

"Ron's your man," Hermione smiled dryly. "He's the one who knocked a fully-grown troll out with its own club."

"You suggested it," Ron muttered, his ears turning bright red at the mention of the way the first-year Ron had taken out a mountain troll. Successfully, however. Harry snickered slightly in the background. "Shut up, Harry."

"So I did," Hermione said brightly, smiling at Sirius. "Are we going to find Sirius's colossal Christmas tree, or would you prefer to stay here?"

The Christmas tree, in all honesty, had to be about twenty feet tall. However, it fit perfectly in the entrance hall. It took numerous charms to decorate the whole thing—Hermione and Lily did most of the decorating, Ginny taking second. James, Sirius, Remus, Ron, and Harry were told firmly to "step back and don't get in the way". Lily successfully planted the star on the top of the tree, with the use of a levitation charm on the ornament.

"Think we're done," James said with delight as the last decorations were conjured and levitated onto the tree.

"So do I," Lily said with a sigh. "It looks nice, doesn't it? At least, it's not hideous. Especially Hermione's angel over there."

"Well, you did the decorations, practically, because you didn't want anything to clash. It looks very nice," James conceded.

"Did James Potter just compliment me without asking me out?" Lily asked in mock-astonishment. "Someone fetch a doctor! Preferably one from the mental hospital! I think we need to get James here checked over for insanity."

"Hey!" James exclaimed. "All I said was that the tree looked nice. Especially your star on the top," he said a little shyly.

"Speaking of asking people out," Sirius picked up with a devil-may-care smile. "Hermione, would you like to go to the ball with me? Just for fun and all," he hastened to add. He looked at her, anticipating her answer.

"Sure, Sirius," Hermione said, blushing furiously.

_She likes him_, Ginny realized, taken aback. Although she should have seen it before, them being so close. A hand touched her shoulder lightly. She spun around abruptly. "Oh, hello, Remus," she said with a brighter blush than Hermione's. She was sure her entire face was on fire. Lily coughed—it sounded suspiciously like "Major crush!" Hermione responded, "Both of them," in another ill-concealed cough. Ginny glared very fiercely at both of them, daring them to say that aloud. They didn't.

"Would you go to the ball with me, Ginny?" he asked awkwardly. Then he smiled, and Ginny couldn't help but smile back.

"Of course I will," she consented. "Sounds like fun."

"I wonder if Miss Lily has a date," James asked the ceiling. Or the tree, depending on how you looked at it.

"James, are you expecting the ceiling to answer you?" Ginny asked. "I would suggest asking Lily instead."

"Oh, right," James said hastily. "Look, Lily, I'm not asking you to go out with me. But…Do you want to go to the ball with me?"

"I'd love to, James," Lily giggled. James looked astonished. _Did she just giggle?_ He was confused.

"You said yes, then?"

"I think that has been established, Prongs," Sirius deadpanned. The group of friends started laughing as if there were no tomorrow. _After all,_ Ginny thought, _why waste the time you've got? Especially with Voldemort on the loose._

It was Christmas Eve. Ginny, Hermione, and Lily had offered to get the two older women's dresses for them. They had accepted, and now the three teenagers had ventured out into Godric's Hollow, hoping desperately that they wouldn't get lost, trying to find Mrs. Chapman's little but elegant establishment.

Their fears were unfounded. They found the little shop without too much difficulty. Mrs. Chapman looked up from what appeared to be accounts as the door opened, the little bell informing her that she had visitors.

"Hello, ladies!" she said gaily, putting down her pen. She disappeared behind the counter for a moment, emerging with five hangers, the dresses themselves covered with canvas to protect the fabric.

"I'll just need one of you to sign this," she explained as she pushed a clipboard toward them. "The line that starts with Elizabeth." Ginny found the correct line and signed her name on the line labeled 'Signature'. The woman handed them the dresses.

"Am I right in assuming that you are all Hogwarts students?" she asked.

The girls nodded and smiled. "Don't worry, this is an all-wizarding village, practically. I went there as well—I was in the Ravenclaw house. Tell me, is that annoying Bilius Binns still there? He taught in my years, and no one could stay awake through his lectures—even the best students like Elizabeth fell asleep."

"Yes," Ginny and Lily chorused. "He's a ghost now, actually. Still teaches, though." Ginny winked at the dressmaker.

"Do his lectures _still_ put people to sleep?"

"Yes," Ginny answered. "But Lily and Hermione can take notes in the bloody class." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you'll have to tell me your secret someday. I'll be seeing you tonight, girls! Later, at the ball, don't forget to say hello!"

"We won't, Mrs. Chapman," they chorused as they left the shop, each carrying two dresses except for Lily, who was carrying only one.

"So when do you suggest we start getting ready?" Ginny asked as Lily discreetly levitated the dresses back to the mansion.

"Four," Hermione said as Lily said, "Three."

"Why don't we ask Eileen what she's planning to do, and do the same as her?" Ginny suggested sensibly.

"Good idea," Hermione agreed. Lily nodded.

"So, we'll ask Eileen what her plans are. Agreed?" Ginny asked.

"Agreed," the other two girls said. They walked along in silence for a few moments before Hermione blurted out, "Do you think Sirius will like my dress?"

Ginny laughed. Lily couldn't help but join in. "And to think, he's about twenty-one years older than you," Ginny said in a whisper as she sighed, shaking her head. "Hermione, I never thought you went for older men…it's a bit of a surprise, I must say."

"Ginny! Like Remus isn't more than two decades older than you," Hermione began heatedly. Just admit we both have crazy crushes and stick with it."

"Well, you want to see someone with a really crazy crush, look at Lily over there," Ginny countered, effectively halting the redhead's full-throated laughter.

"Hey!"

Eileen had suggested they start at five, seeing as the ball didn't begin until eight o'clock. The girls readily agreed. They returned to debating the advantages to introducing the Wolfsbane Potion early.

"Well," Lily said, "you should wait, considering that it's someone else's invention."

"What if we made it—but just for Remus until Mr. Belby invented it?" Ginny asked.

"That's still infringement on a patent."

"But we can't just let him think there's no hope, can we?" Ginny persisted.

"What makes you so sure we'll be able to make it?" Hermione countered. "It's one of the most complex potions there is—and we don't have directions, do we, Ginny!" She knew she had a copy of the directions in the pocket of the robes she'd been wearing during their time jump, but Ginny didn't—right?

"We can, and do, because I know you have the directions in the pocket of the robes I—er— borrowed."

"You stole my clothes with no reason," Hermione said flatly. It was not a question. "Are you sure this is really Ginny Weasley speaking? Because I'm starting to have doubts, however much you may look like Miss Weasley."

"It's me," she blushed. "Who else is going to the ball with their major crush…and favorite werewolf," she added, bright red to the roots of her hair. "I think I'm probably the only girl in the wizarding world doing _that_."

"Umm—can I get back to you on that?" Lily joked.

"Not funny. I know you two are going with your crushes—don't even try to deny it, Hermione, I saw the way you looked at him! And guess what? I got Mrs. Potter to invite Amelia, Lynn, Frank, and Alice! I didn't think Amelia would be in favor the idea, but suggested her anyway—it's no fun without Amelia."

"Sure, good idea, Gin!" Lily exclaimed. "Let's get back to our rooms now—I'm into the Time-Turners section of the time travel book now."

"You're reading it again?" Ginny asked.

"Naturally," she said offhandedly. "It's always better the second time." Ginny rolled her eyes as she opened the door and each girl retreated to their respective rooms, for some down time before preparation for the ball. Ginny, for her part, was busy daydreaming about…well, a certain werewolf. Hermione was wrapped up in a book—what a surprise. Lily was going over her dress one last time, determined not to look like an idiot in front of James. Ginny could hear her arguing with herself through the door, and chuckled at the words Lily was using.

The girls soon learned that preparing for a Potter Christmas Eve ball with Eileen Arthurson was actually quite fun.

"The idea here is to look like you're perfectly at ease. Even though I know some of us magical folk aren't accustomed to Muggle formal attire. I've been doing this for as long as I can remember, so I'm used to it," she began when they had all congregated on her bed in the room, ready to prepare for the celebration.

Each girl took a warm shower—for the second time that day—and then washed their hair separately. Then they put on a slip—what Eileen called an "under-dress—clever, actually!" Eileen then looked over each of them to confirm what to do with their hair. She had to think a bit for each girl before reaching a decision—either to act now or not.

"Ginny, definitely something like those braids at Aunt Louise's—only a little more elaborate, of course—Lily, I reserve judgement until you get yourself dressed, and Hermione, I think I've got just the thing for you, although it looks great down. You just need a little bit more, maybe something that frames your face; you've got a nice chin—

"Now, Ginny, I'm going to braid your hair—I'm not an expert, so it might pull, but Muggle braids hold up better than magical ones, so this is the best way to this." Whatever Eileen said to the contrary, she was the expert hairstylist of the group. She wove lengths of glittering silver cord into Ginny's long roan-colored braids easily. She pinned the braids up in a very intricate pattern with a wave of her wand and a few Muggle bobby pins just for good measure. She pronounced Ginny "perfect" after a little scrutiny and shooed her off to go get her dress—since she'd forgotten it—"Accident, I swear!" she insisted. Eileen cocked an eyebrow at that story, as if to say, "And you expect me to believe that? Likely story!" Ginny just smiled, presumably innocently and left the room.

Lily had already changed into her dress—well, the green part at least—and Eileen circled her thoughtfully. "You know, Lily, you're a tricky girl. We can't find the right dress for twenty minutes straight, I don't have the faintest idea what I'm going to do with your hair, and Merlin help us when we get to makeup!"

Lily blushed. "Not my fault," she muttered. "Did I ask for red hair? Whoever does must be out of their mind."

"I agree," Ginny said as she entered the room, carrying the dress with a little difficulty. "I'll just go change now," she added unnecessarily when the other three young women turned to look admonishingly at her.

"You had better, Ginny Weasley!" Eileen exclaimed, hands on her hips. "Get in there now and put that dress on!"

"Yes, ma'am!" she said meekly, walking quickly into the dressing room of the huge suite. They could hear her talking snippily to the dress behind the door. Lily and Hermione exchanged exasperated but knowing looks. Eileen just looked a little disconcerted.

"Hmm, I think…Yes," Eileen said with finality. "Lily dear, come here, if you would. I've got an idea, but it would take upside of an hour to do all the work. I'll give you a magic for the foundation of the style, but the rest I'll do by hand—forgive me if I pull. I'm not the gentlest person in the world."

She waved her wand in a complex motion and Lily's curly red hair flew back from her face, caught up in dozens of tiny ponytails and straightened. The long, red mane seemed to be parted right inside the scalp; right from where it originated. Lily looked a little surprised at her reflection in the mirror she was holding. Eileen sat her down on the floor, sat herself in a chair, and began to interlock the miniscule bunches of hair in an intricate and remarkably difficult design.

She had made a veritable maze of half of Lily's hair when she exclaimed, "Ah! Finished!" She then removed the straightening charm on the rest of her hair, leaving it to cascade in gentle curls to her elbows.

"Lily!" Hermione breathed. "You look wonderful—I don't think even Harry's photo album has such a wonderful picture of you! Of course, this probably never happened in that time," she mused.

"What would you be willing to bet that it didn't?" Lily said dryly. "I'm sure if you so much as dropped as much as a matchstick—and landed in a secluded part of the Sahara Desert—that you would have irrevocably changed history."

"Yes, that's why Time-Travel is so illegal!" Hermione exclaimed. "There's a big chance of changing absolutely everything that happened! Like we did," she thought belatedly. "We've broken so many rules! We've done wrong on so many levels! Lily, I think the penalty for something like we've done is a damned Memory-wipe—of everything, not just specific memories! Or even Azkaban!"

"Language, Hermione," Lily teased. "So what? They don't have to know you spilled the entire future to those it would most affect!" she said brightly. "They don't even have to know you're from the future!"

"How will that look on our résumé? We don't even have parents in this world," she fretted uselessly. Lily put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Hermione, decide your work future later. Let Eileen do your hair now," Lily interceded on Eileen's behalf.

"Sorry," Hermione blushed, levering herself off her seat on the bed. "Getting worked up over nothing."

"Such a common trait in our Hermione," Ginny said as she exited the dressing room, a smile twitching at the corners of her lips. Hermione sat down abruptly.

"Ginny!" Lily exclaimed. "You look great!" Ginny smiled nervously. The sleeves, true to Mrs. Chapman's word, had been lengthened, and now covered all but her fingertips. The bodice had been taken in until it looked like it had been molded onto Ginny. The skirt also touched the floor all around the barefooted girl.

"You do have tall white heels, right?" Eileen asked. Ginny pulled the bag that had contained her dress over to her, reached in, and pulled out a pair of tan, heeled shoes. She smiled deviously, tapped them with her wand, and said clearly, "_Colore_ _Blanc_!" The shoes immediately turned a pale cream. Ginny's shoulders dropped and she tapped them insistently with her wand. They obediently turned snowy white. She rolled her eyes and slipped them on her feet. Eileen inspected the petite redhead carefully.

"Good," Eileen said finally, looking away and toward Hermione before she said sharply to the brunette, "Hermione, get yourself over here immediately." Hermione, startled, jumped off the bed and sat meekly before the older woman, who fretted for a moment longer before having an immediate epiphany.

"Okay. Hermione, this may tickle a bit. It's a little charm I'm going to use." With a muttered incantation that none of the girls could make out, Hermione's hair relaxed even more, into longer, loose curls. "There," she said with satisfaction. She waved her wand haphazardly and caught deftly the white-gold-colored star barrette (well, sort of, it looked more like a cookie cutter) she had just conjured. She waved the wand one more time and half Hermione's hair swept up into Eileen's beckoning hand. She fastened the barrette (/cookie cutter-type-thing) in Hermione's hair and watched in satisfaction as the curls tumbled out of the barrette (/cookie cutter-type-thing) in a star shape.

"Now you go change while I start finding Lily's makeup," she commanded—"Well, don't change—you know what I mean."

"Of course," Hermione's eyes danced as she picked her dress up off the bed and walked into the dressing room.

Eileen, meanwhile, pulled out every drawer of her vanity table in the corner and unloaded every possible makeup kit she could.

"I keep it especially for Mum's dances," she said with a blush. "I got tired of having the wrong color every time I got a new dress."

"Eileen, you haven't done your hair or put your dress on yet!" Lily exclaimed. "Are you going to be ready in time?"

"That's why I said five," she giggled, quite odd in a woman her age—and nothing like the Eileen Arthurson they were used to. "Really, with magic, we could have waited until six. And as for that, you three are going to have to help me."

"Okay," Ginny agreed readily. Lily nodded in consent, and a muffled, "Of course, Eileen," came from Hermione in the dressing room.

"Hurry up!" Eileen said absently as she picked up a case that held contrasting pale and bright colors. "Lily, move, I need you front and center, pronto!" Lily shook her head in exasperation and trotted obediently over to Eileen. She had never been really interested makeup—she preferred her natural appearance to an altered one, and she knew that people liked her anyway, so she never really worried about it.

The next half-hour was spent on makeup. Eileen was skilled with this too—"As I said, I've been doing this for as long as I can remember!"—and knew exactly how to accentuate their best features (and make their worst features look good).

"Eileen, go get dressed and then we can help with your hair," Ginny ordered. Eileen saluted her with a giggle and went to change into her dress.

Eileen had long, long black hair—meaning it wasn't very easy to style. Ginny, Hermione, and Lily pulled it this way and that for the better part of an hour. Eileen finally sighed gustily. "I think I'm going to do something similar to what Ginny's done with hers. Is there anyone who'd be any great shakes at braiding my hair?"

"Hermione, you do that side and I'll do this one," Lily said decisively. She gathered Eileen's hair into two bunches.

"I can't braid to save my life," Hermione confessed.

"Let me instead," Ginny jumped in. "Hermione, go have a bite to eat." She seized the bunch of hair Lily handed her and divided it into three parts. She began to braid the long, heavy hair in with some red and gold cord she found on the table in front of her, to emphasize both the raven-haired woman's dress and her illustrious Gryffindor heritage.

"Give me some of that!" Lily ordered.

"Look, this is only going to last my braid."

"There's no more," Lily floundered.

"Are you mad? Are you a witch or not!" Ginny screeched, pointing to Lily's wand, which lay on the vanity table. Lily picked it up, a little abashed.

"Oh, right," Lily said, embarrassed. "_Duplicado_," she said clearly. She then began braiding the cord into her braid as well.

"Eileen, I think we'd need extensive amounts of Muggle bobby pins to pin your hair up, so I've got a better idea—it was how Lavender wore her hair at the Yule ball—no, it was Katie Bell, it was." Ginny casually flicked her wand and the braids pinned themselves to either side of her head in a coiled knot. Lily clapped her hands. "Wonderful! Hermione, don't you agree? Oh, Eileen, it works perfectly with the dress!"

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. "Good one, Ginny." She picked up her personal makeup kit and popped the lid open. "Now let Hermione do the makeup," she ordered. "I don't want to know what Ginny's tastes are, and Lily's already helped out." Lily shrugged, and Ginny smiled, pointing to the food that Hermione had been picking at earlier. "Okay," Hermione said dubiously. Whatever she said to the contrary, Hermione obviously was no stranger to cosmetics. When she had finished (about fifteen hesitant minutes later), Eileen's red dress caused her pale skin to stand out. She looked like an ethereal princess, with her alabaster complexion emphasized and her long hair carefully arranged around the pale skin to give it an extra flair. Ginny and Lily, who had been having a small supper before the ball, smiled at her as she arose. She picked up her mask and red veil. She somehow fixed the veil to her head and then put the mask to her face, where it molded to fit her features.

"What was that?" Hermione asked interestedly.

"It's charmed," Lily supplied. "I think I know it, we could—" Lily stopped suddenly, a calculating look on her face.

"Relax, I charmed them all," Eileen placated. "Now, Ginny, bring me your veil and I'll put it on for you."

Ginny held out the fluttery piece of silk. Eileen leaned over her vanity and pulled a few pins out of her drawer.

She jabbed them through the veil and into Ginny's hair. When Ginny looked again, the veil looked rather like a loose and open snood over her deep red hair. It extended past her hair to brush her bare neck and blue-green-satin-cloaked shoulders. "Thanks, Eileen!" she said excitedly to the twenty-six-year-old. Ginny picked up her white mask, waited as it molded to her flesh, and fled out the door to take her old stuff to her room.

A/N: Sorry about all that, but I'm a sucker for nice clothes.

ANOTHER CHAPPIE!

YAY. Okay, I'm a little strange...next chappie has more RLGW action!

LysPotter


	12. Christmas Carols

Disclaimer: This little bugger is doubly--triply important today...I don't own "Where is Your Heart" by Kelly Clarkson (thus the "by Kelly Clarkson" bit). I didn't write Mary, Did You Know, and Henry VIII can keep bloody Greensleeves. If I were J.K. Rowling, I would be sitting in a mansion, not on a second-hand chair that's already been broken like twice...You get the picture.

**Chapter 12: Christmas Carols**

Ginny rushed through countless halls, forgetting to think of the rooms so that the door appeared. All of a sudden, she skidded to a halt.

She saw the elaborate grand piano in the corner of the huge room—this was where the ball was to be held! She gasped, smiled, and rushed over to it.

"Do you play?" a quiet male voice came. Ginny spun around to face Remus, who was smiling a little nervously at her.

"I've been taking lessons for ten years now," she smiled. The mask covered her eyes when her face scrunched in the smile. "Oh, bugger this mask—I'm not wearing one—not yet at least!" she exclaimed, as she pulled off the offending article of clothing.

"I agree," Remus said dryly, one eyebrow hopping up. "Well, care to play something for me, then?" Ginny smirked at him.

"I don't know," she hedged slyly. "You play anything?"

"Maybe I do," he said amiably. "Tell you tonight, okay?"

"Fine. I'll play you something tonight," she countered.

"Deal," they chorused. Remus smiled at Ginny, who blushed and smiled back.

"You look great!" Remus complimented her.

"Oh! So do you!" she said, finally taking in the formal outfit he was wearing—amusing in its own right, he'd chosen to wear a blue-green shirt. "How did you know?"

"Know what?" the lycanthrope asked.

"What color to wear?"

"Lucky guess," he blushed, picking at his shirt a little shyly. "Shouldn't you be off somewhere getting ready?"

"Putting back my clothes," she explained with an unnecessary gesture at her armful of clothing.

"Ah." Remus jammed his hands in his pockets and strolled off. "Later, Ginny—what say you we meet in the entrance hall at eight?" he called back when he reached the doorway. She smiled at her date.

"Great!" she agreed. "See you there!" She then remembered what it was she had to do to open up her room and smacked herself on the forehead. "Merlin, I'm stupid." She concentrated on her room and pulled open the door that materialized in the wall.

She deposited her clothes on her bed and ran back to Eileen's room, somehow managing not to get lost. She banged twice on the door and pushed it open.

"Good, Ginny, you're back," Eileen said. "What happened to your mask?"

"Put it on later," she waved her off.

"Well, good, because it's seven-forty-five and Hermione just informed me that she doesn't know how to dance."

"Crisis!" Ginny exclaimed. "What did you do fourth year?"

"Oh, I just—well, I—Viktor didn't know much about dancing either," she defended herself.

Ginny looked at Eileen as she picked up her wand. The older girl nodded. Ginny flicked the wand and a soft waltz started to play. "Okay, Hermione, to waltz—the beat is one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three." Hermione began to pick up on the waltz. As soon as she wasn't stepping on Eileen's feet, the music would change—until Hermione could dance with the best of them. Or at least not the worst.

"Okay, Hermione, now let's go," Ginny said anxiously.

"Fine, fine, Remus is waiting, I know, I know," Hermione and Lily said together.

"Sorry, I just don't want to be late—"

"Good idea, maybe you two will finally get together!" Eileen exclaimed. "You are so right for each other, and you balance out each other's worst natures!"

"I suppose you're a matchmaker," Ginny grumbled. Eileen nodded matter-of-factly. "Didn't you know?" she said mock-seriously.

"Ginny, shut up and go meet your boyfriend," Hermione teased. Ginny scowled at her, grabbed her arm, and dragged her out the door as well.

"Don't even say you're not attracted to Sirius," she muttered. "Because I know it's a lie. I've seen the way you smile at him, Hermione."

"Fine, be that way. Do you think Frank and Alice will come?"

"Most definitely," Lily confirmed. "Alice is a dancing fiend, and Frank will want to come if Alice is going."

"Good," Ginny said gratefully. "Eileen, do you know if it would be possible for Remus and I to do a little bit of music at the ball?"

"I'm sure nobody would mind," Eileen said, prodding a few stray hairs pack under her red veil.

"I've been playing the piano since six, and Remus wanted to hear me earlier. I told him to wait. He said he'd tell me if and what he played at the ball. I have a suspicion it's piano, for some reason."

"Sounds fine," Eileen said. "I think Mum might have asked the church pianist to play; she usually does. Helen Churchman's a piano genius."

"Oh, good, maybe we can talk music," Ginny said thankfully.

"We're here," Lily said unexpectedly. "Look, Ginny, there's Remus, go meet him, he looks rather anxious, standing all alone there."

"Fine," Ginny said, "but not until you go to James." Lily shot a look at her. The younger girl's chin jutted out stubbornly. She would not take no for an answer.

"Fine," Lily huffed and walked over to James. She turned and gave Ginny a 'your turn' look. Ginny shrugged and walked over to Remus.

"So nice to see you again," he quipped, giving her a tentative hug. She hugged him back, albeit a little sheepishly, as she blushed.

"It's been what, fifteen minutes?" she replied dryly. "I almost got lost."

"Did you?" he asked, pretending to be interested in her commonplace statement. Everyone got lost in the Potters' Mansion. "Not that it would be anything new—"

"Remus!" she exclaimed, shoving him playfully.

"Sorry, couldn't resist," he said with a mischievous smile. Ginny couldn't help but smile back. Remus laughed. "You have a nice smile," he told Ginny, who just blushed all over again. She cursed her red hair.

"So do you," she replied. "And I asked Eileen, and she said I could play something at the ball."

""If I want to hear, I can't dance whenever you decide to play," said Remus with a smile. He waved her off when she started saying he should dance with someone else when she did so. "Like I said, I want to listen mostly."

"Oh," she said, then planted her mask on her face. "I promised Eileen I'd wear it," she lied. She just didn't want to take the chance that her mother and father (and possibly siblings) would come here—it was the biggest British wizarding celebration of Christmas, she'd heard—and see her for the Weasley she truly was.

"Sure," he said dubiously. "Anyway, come on, we're going into the ballroom—you see Mrs. Potter talking? _If_ we were listening, we would hear her tell us to head to the ballroom down the hall a ways. Oh, look, here comes Frank."

"With Alice," Ginny observed. "You forgot Alice."

"Right, Alice," Remus said hastily. "You want to go catch up with them?"

"Sure," Ginny smiled. "But we can't be very late—I don't know when this pianist will give me time to play."

"Oh, come on, Ginny, she'll probably want to wait until she's all tired out and needs a break."

"Right."

Ginny and Remus still hadn't worked up the nerve to dance hours later, both of them more of the wallflower type. It was ten by now, and couples were dancing all over the floor—even James and Lily, which had made Ginny giggle and Remus smile. Sirius and Hermione seemed to be having a few feelings for each other as they danced slowly to the pianist, Helen Churchman's music—a flute, a violin, and occasionally a guitar accompanied her.

Frank and Alice dropped by after the song was finished.

"Ginny, you look positively _wonderful_ in that dress!" Alice gushed. Frank and Remus were having a detailed discussion about NEWTs and whether they were as difficult as they sounded. Ginny smiled at the slightly plump blonde, who was wearing an airy confection of pink-and-pale-blue chiffon that fit her look perfectly. Her mask, a soft pink one, gave the elfin girl an air of royal mystery. She was the perfect fairy queen if there ever was one.

"You look great too, Alice," Ginny said honestly. "Have you seen Lynn anywhere?" she asked innocently. She'd seen Lynn and Harry dancing earlier, and wanted to know if Alice had noticed it at all.

"Yes, why?" Alice asked.

"Just wondering if she was ever going to drop by and say hello to her roommate—if she cares to, that is," Ginny said lightly.

"Well, I'll tell her you asked—and get out on the floor, Ginny!" Alice commanded the petite redhead, who ducked her head.

"Soon, I suppose," Ginny said, slightly embarrassed.

Alice dragged Frank away to greet a friend of her mother's, throwing a look that clearly said, "You need to _dance_!" over her shoulder at Ginny. Ginny shrugged noncommittally.

"And now," Helen Churchman announced into the magical microphone, "Miss Ginny Weasley is going to play for us." A silence swept over the room. Ginny paled noticeably. Remus grinned mischievously and pushed the girl toward the stage with the instruments. Helen smiled at the girl and gestured to the piano bench.

"Ten years of lessons, eh?" she asked, one pianist to another. Ginny shivered a little, but she didn't see.

"More or less," Ginny blushed, looking at the impeccably white piano keys of the black grand. "You really don't mind?"

"Not at all. I was getting tired, anyhow." The middle-aged woman left the stage, joining a man who appeared to be her husband as she shot an expectant look at Ginny.

Ginny gulped and ran her long, slender fingers over the ivory keys. She placed both hands in familiar positions and played the introduction to her favorite Christmas carol tentatively. As she reached the actual song, she did as she had all those years ago before Hogwarts, and added her voice to the piano. (_Italics_ are songs)

"_Mary, did you know_

_That your baby boy_

_Would someday walk on water?_

_Mary, did you know_

_That your baby boy_

_Would save our sons and daughters?_

_Did you know that your baby boy_

_Has come to make you new?_

_This child that you delivered_

_Will soon deliver you._"

People had started to dance by now. Remus was smiling at the girl at the piano. She smiled back tentatively.

"_Mary, did you know_

_That your baby boy_

_Will give sight to a blind man?_

_Mary, did you know_

_That your baby boy_

_Will calm a storm with his Hand?_

_Did you know that your baby boy_

_Has walked where angels trod?_

_When you kissed your little baby._

_Then you've kissed the face of God._"

The people seemed happy with her playing. They were dancing slowly with each other. She took a deep breath.

"_The blind will see,_

_The deaf will hear,_

_The dead will live again,_

_The lame will leap,_

_The dumb will speak,_

_The praises of the Lamb!_" Ginny shot a worried look toward Remus. He smiled at her encouragingly. She circled back to her music.

"_Mary, did you know_

_That your baby boy_

_Is Lord of all creation?_

_Mary, did you know_

_That your baby boy_

_Will, one day, rule the nations?_

_Did you know that your baby boy_

_Is Heaven's perfect Lamb?_

_This sleeping child you're holding_

_Is the great…_

_The Great I am!" _Her voice rose on the last note, as she held it, her soprano warming the room as her hands played the end of the music. She sighed with relief when it was over.

The whole room started clapping as Ginny stood up to leave the stage, blushing bright red under her mask.

Helen Churchman walked over and pushed her back onto the bench. "Keep playing—and singing," she commanded. "They like you!"

"I don't know…" Ginny said uncertainly. "Fine," she agreed. She put her hands to the piano once more. She smiled slightly. She knew what to play next.

The opening bars were slightly melancholy as Ginny slowly pressed the keys, closing her eyes in memory of the Burrow.

The melody was upon her. She opened her mouth, eyes still closed, head uplifted, as the song came from her.

"_What child is this who laid to rest_

_On Mary's lap is sleeping?_

_Whom angels greet with anthems sweet_

_While shepherds watch are keeping?_

_This, this is Christ the King,_

_Whom shepherds guard and angels sing._

_Haste, haste to bring him laud,_

_The babe, the son of Mary._" Ginny's eyes searched for Remus. No luck. Where was that boy? He hadn't left his seat, had he?

"_Why lies he in such mean estate,_

_Where ox and ass are feeding?_

_Good Christians, fear, for sinners here,_

_The silent word is pleading._

_Nail, spear, shall pierce him through._

_The Cross be borne for me, for you._

_Hail, hail, the Word made flesh,_

_The babe, the son of Mary_." Remus slid onto the bench next to her, his hands adding a harmonious deep bass part.

"_So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh_," Remus's melodious baritone voice joined her pure soprano as she began the last verse.

"_Come peasant, king to own Him_." Remus was not looking at the piano, but directly at her. Ginny then noticed that she herself was staring right back into Remus's gold-flecked blue eyes, which were a little sad as they kept singing. She blushed.

"_The King of kings salvation brings,_

_Let loving hearts enthrone him_."

Remus smiled at Ginny, who smiled back shyly. Then the pair turned most of their attention back to the piano. However, their gaze did not leave each other's.

"_Raise, raise the song on high!_

_The Virgin sings her lullaby._

_Joy, joy for Christ is born!_

_The babe, the son of Mary_." Ginny smiled at Remus as the couple finished the song together. When the last note was played, Ginny's head found Remus's shoulder. He jerked slightly in surprise, then smiled at the redhead who was using him as a pillow. She met his eyes squarely with a wink. He winked back at her, then cocked an eyebrow as thunderous applause rang through the ballroom, coupled with shouts of "Bravo! Sing again!"

"You could have said you played piano," Ginny said, mock-grumpily.

"I preferred to startle you," Remus said honestly. "What did you think?"

"You two could go on tour," Helen Churchman said as she appeared behind them. "Get up there in front of the microphone. I'm going to play a song, and you need to pick up on the vocals for me."

"Of course," the teenagers chorused.

"It won't necessarily be a Christmas song," she warned. "Do either of you keep up with contemporary music?

"Yes," they chorused. "Oldies," Ginny whispered to Remus, making him chuckle. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said quietly. "Shut up so Mrs. Churchman can get us started." Helen Churchman had been watching them, eyebrows raised.

"I'm going to do Ginny first—a single, all right?" Mrs. Churchman played the opening bars to a song, lilting and slow. _I don't know this song,_ Ginny panicked. _I've never even heard this song before._ But something in the music told her to start singing. "_Ohh, ohh, oh, oh,_

_I don't believe in the smile that you leave,_" she sang—but she wasn't looking at her audience. She was looking at Remus. He was watching her with wide eyes. She wondered if he'd ever heard the song—but no, he couldn't have…She hadn't even…

"_When you walk away and say goodbye._

_Well, I don't expect the world to move underneath me_

_But for God's sake, could you try?_

_I know that you're true to me,_

_You're always there, you say you care,_

_I know that you want to be mine_." Out of the corner of her eye, Ginny saw Remus transfigure a chair into a drumset. Two instruments! He jumped in with just the right beat at just the right time, making Ginny stare at him in wonder. Maybe he _had_ heard it before, or maybe he was musician that played by ear.

"_Where is your heart?_

'_Cause I don't really feel you._

_Where is your heart?_

_What I really want is to believe you! _

_Is it so hard to give me what I need? _

_I want your heart to bleed, _

_That's all I'm asking for. Ohh…_

_Where is your heart? _

_I don't understand, _

_Your love is so cold._

_It's always me who's reaching out_

_For your hand_

_And I've always dreamed_

_That love would be effortless,_" Ginny sang sadly, looking out at the dancing crowd once more, focusing on her friends: Frank and Alice, James and Lily, Hermione and Sirius, and—Lynn and Harry? She smiled. If they hadn't come, they would be much different people. She liked the person she'd become here.

"_Like a petal falling to the ground,_

_A dreamer followin' his dream._

_Where is your heart?_

'_Cause I don't really feel you._

_Where is your heart?_

_What I really want is to believe you! _

_Is it so hard to give me what I need?_

_I want your heart to bleed, _

_That's all I'm asking for. Ooh,_

_Where is your heart? _

_It seems so much is left unsaid,_" Ginny looked straight at Remus, a forlorn smile on her face. He seemed oblivious, just watching her, a faraway look in his eyes.

_But you can say anything,_

_Oh, anytime you need!_

_Baby, it's just you, and me. Oh yeah._

_I know that you're true to me,_

_You're always there, you say you care,_

_I know that you want to be mine. _

_Where is your heart?_

'_Cause I don't really feel you._

_Where is your heart?_

_What I really want is to believe you! _

_Is it so hard to give me what I need? _

_I want your heart to bleed, _

_That's all I'm asking for. Oh yeah!_

_Where is your heart?_

'_Cause I don't really feel you._

_Where is your heart?_

_What I really want is to believe you! _

_Is it so hard to give me what I need? _

_I want your heart to bleed, _

_That's all I'm asking for._

_Where is your heart? _

_Where is your heart? Ohh._

_Where is your heart?_

_Where is your heart?_" Ginny finished with a trembling note, looking straight at Remus. He winked encouragingly at her.

The crowd broke out clapping.

A/N: I love music, and I wrote this while listening to my Kelly Clarkson CD over and over again. That was pre-Ipod.

Enjoy, flames are welcome to burn bacon, and tell me what you honestly think.

Thanks!

LysPotter


	13. Moonlight Rendezvous

**Disclaimer: **If I actually owned something as important and significant and popular as Harry Potter, people would murder me for neglecting my writing. As it is, well, I don't. So they just yell at me. Which is nicer.

**Previously:** The Marauders, time-travelers, and Lily attend the ball. Ginny and Remus show prowess in music. When we leave our couple, Ginny has just sung a song that will not be written for about thirty years.

**Chapter Thirteen: Moonlight Rendezvous**, in which Remus sings Jackson Browne, Ginny and Remus take a walk, and many things are discovered.

"Ginny?" Helen asked the redheaded girl. "Where had you heard that before, that you knew it so well?"

"I honestly don't know. It just came to me…I think I could even play it myself if I tried," she marveled. "I'm just not sure where I heard it," she said honestly.

"Just as I thought. A Music Seer," Helen said sagely. Ginny looked at her curiously, her brow knit. "A Music Seer is someone with a remarkable talent in music, who can sing or play songs that haven't even been written yet," she explained. "You have that talent, and so do I. I have reason to believe that your friend here—"

"Remus," Ginny supplied. "Remus Lupin. He's my date to the ball." She blushed furiously at Helen's surmising look. "We're just friends," she insisted.

"I'm sure. I think he might be an MS too."

"MS stands for Music Seer?" Ginny clarified. Helen nodded crisply, and sat back down on the piano bench with a smile at Ginny.

Helen raised an eyebrow at Remus, who flushed, stood up, and walked over to the microphone. At a gesture from Helen, the flutist switched to Remus's drumset.

"You see, witches and wizards have some music from the future," he teased Ginny as their paths crossed. "You just have to know where to look."

"Oh, shut up and go sing for the nice people," she said playfully. She pushed him lightly in the back. He stumbled, playing hurt, then walked up to the magical microphone.

Helen played the introduction to a song, along with the guitarist and the flutist-turned-drummer. Remus's face relaxed.

"_She was a friend to me when I needed one._

_Wasn't for her, I don't know what I'd've done._

_She gave me back something that was missing in me._

_She could have turned out to be almost anyone._

_Almost anyone._

_With the possible exception_

_Of who I wanted her to be._" Helen and her accompanists played a few more lines before Remus jumped back in, singing soulfully, as if the song was his alone, and he would never stop singing it.

"_Running into the midnight_

_With her clothes whipping in the wind._

_Reaching into the heart of the darkness_

_For the tenderness within._

_Stumblin' into the lights of the city_

_And then back in the shadows again._

_Hanging onto the laughter_

_That each of us hid our unhappiness in_

_Talk about celestial bodies_

_And your angels on the wing_

_She wasn't much good at sticking around—_

_But that girl could sing._

_She could sing!_" As Remus once again lapsed into silence, he looked back and smiled at Ginny, beckoning her. She raised her eyebrows and came over obediently, smiling at the werewolf that she was almost sure felt something for her. He took one of her hands in his. Her other touched his shoulder. His other wound tentatively around her waist. They danced awkwardly at first, then each of them gauged each other and started to move a little more cooperatively. When Remus's vocal part came back in, he and Ginny shared a bashful smile before he returned to the microphone, once more losing himself in the song. His eyes swept over the ballroom as his baritone flooded the room and Ginny's ears.

"_In the dead of night,_

_She could shine a light_

_On some places that you've never been_." An image flashed in front of their eyes—Ginny explaining the future to three-fourths of the Marauders. She was like the girl mentioned in the song…Had Helen planned that at all?

"_In that kind of light_

_You could lose your sight_

_And believe there was something to win._

_You could hold her tight,_

_With all your might,_

_But she'd slip through your arms like the wind._

_And be back in flight,_

_Back into the night,_

_Where you might never see her again._

_The longer I thought I might find her,_

_The shorter my vision became._

_Running in circles behind her,_

_And thinking in terms of the blame._

_But she couldn't have been any kinder_

_If she'd come back and tried to explain._

_She wasn't much good at saying goodbye—but_

_That girl was sane_."

Remus smiled. Ginny whirled back into his arms and they finished out the song, gold-flecked blue eyes never leaving the blue-green below them. They inched closer and closer, until both Remus's hands found Ginny's waist and her hands found both his shoulders. Remus's chin rested softly on Ginny's head as the song drew to a close. Ginny sighed sadly when it did—she never wanted it to end.

The hall burst out into applause again as the blushing couple left the stage, subconsciously holding each other's hands.

"Thank you, Ginny Weasley and Remus Lupin!" Helen exclaimed into the microphone, "for a musical delight!" Ginny flushed brighter red.

"Miss Weasley?" an eerily familiar voice asked behind her. "I just wanted to ask something. You sing very well, by the way."

With a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach, she turned to face her twenty-five-year-old parents, with her older brother Bill—only three years old—in tow.

"My name is Arthur Weasley—and this is my wife, Molly and son, Bilius. Are we related in any way, I wanted to ask?" he asked very bluntly.

"You must be the Arthur my mother's always told me about!" Ginny blustered. "We're fourth cousins, we are. So nice to meet you at last. Da—Arthur, and of _course_ Molly. Though I don't think I've ever heard of little Bilius here," she lied.

"Bill, this is your cousin," Molly said slowly. "Say hello?"

"Hello!" the young boy said clearly.

"Nice to meet you, too," Ginny said with a smile. "He's such a cutie!"—_Or he would be if he wasn't my older brother_, she thought.

"Nice to meet you, Ginny," Molly smiled as she picked Bill up with a grunt. "I never knew that Arthur had such extended family!"

"Neither did I," Arthur said dubiously. "So nice to meet you, Cousin. Maybe we'll talk more in the future."_ Believe me, we will_, she thought dryly. _As long as I'm born._ "That would be nice, Arthur!" she said enthusiastically. "Later, then."

"Sometime," he promised.

"Was that your dad? Arthur Weasley, I mean?" Remus asked as soon as they were alone once more.

"Yes, and my mum—and my older brother."

"So, in short, as a sixteen-year-old, you met your twenty-five-year-old Mum and Dad and three-year-old older brother?"

"That's about it. I should tell Ron they're here. Warn him, in case they find him."

"Good idea," Remus agreed. "Let's go find him."

When they located Ron, he was dancing with Alice. He finished the dance, and when Ginny beckoned to him, he obligingly walked over.

"Just to warn you ahead of time, Mum and Dad are here—with Bill. Three-year-old Bill. So you might want to steer clear of them."

"No way!" the lanky redhead exclaimed.

"Charlie should be born by now," Ginny commented. "Percy should too, I think. Yes. Bet they got a babysitter for those two."

"Rather than have them at a ball. What a disaster that would be!"

"And here I am thinking of them as adults, and they would be a disaster. Imagine them as kids, the ruckus they would have made here!"

"Ugh, Ginny, don't even like that thought. The Potters' party would be totally ruined within five minutes."

"Fine, don't think it," she said indifferently.

A new song started up. Remus looked questioningly at Ginny, who understood what he was asking her and nodded a little timidly. He took her by the hand and led her onto the dance floor. Ginny's gown softly swished around her ankles and feet as the couple twirled around the floor, to song, after song, after song. The next song (after that) was lively, and she and Remus changed partners countless times.

Remus spun her away the first time. She came face-to-face with James. "Hello," he said amiably. "Sparks flying pretty fast with Moony there." Before Ginny had a chance to answer, he spun her off to Frank.

"Nice to see you, Ginny. By the way, phenomenal performance at that match against Ravenclaw. I haven't even seen James do some of those moves." She acknowledged his compliment as he twirled her away expertly.

Ron caught her. "Ginny, I saw you up there singing—and dancing. You like Remus, don't you?" he asked pointedly. Ginny rolled her eyes and maintained her silence until Ron spun her to Sirius.

"Hello, gorgeous," he winked. "You up for a dance later? If I can tear you away from old Moony, that is," he added as an afterthought.

"I'll save a dance for you, Sirius," she promised. Harry was next, and he sent her whirling toward Remus as soon as the music allowed him.

"Hey, Gin," he said cheerily. "Have fun?"

"Yeah. Promised Sirius a dance later. Ron finally noticed—well, never mind. Something that'll drive him near mad."

"Sure, whatever," Remus said doubtfully. "Look, you're panting. Why don't I go get us some drinks and we take a rest?" He sat her in a chair and headed for the refreshment table halfway across the room.

"Remus, you're a lifesaver!" Ginny said gratefully when he handed her a glass of iced pumpkin juice.

"No problem," he said lightly, taking a seat beside her.

"That was fun," Ginny commented. "You're a great partner."

"I was the one who almost stepped on your feet."

"That was me," Ginny argued.

"Definitely me."

"You're such a liar."

"You're graceful."

"You're more so."

"You are."

"You are."

"Why are we arguing about who stepped on whose feet?" Remus asked suddenly.

"No idea, but it's fun anyway," Ginny shrugged. She sat back to watch the other couples waltz across the floor. The song was soon over; as soon as it was, Sirius walked up with a smile on his face.

"How about that dance you promised me?" he asked. Ginny smiled up at the grinning young man.

"Sure," Ginny agreed, standing and smoothing out her skirts. It was a fast, lively dance, and both of them danced rather well, considering that Sirius was severely klutzy normally. He was actually a fair dancer.

Sirius escorted her back to her chair after the dance was finished. Remus danced a few more times with her, just because it was something to do. Not because he liked her or anything.

Finally, they sat down and caught their evasive breath. Remus smiled at the sight of James and Lily dancing with each other, eyes locked, ignoring the people around them.

"I always knew they'd end up together," he said.

"So did I, but being here makes it seem like so much more a wonderful miracle," Ginny mused. "I can't for the life of me understand why they decided to get together."

"They're made for each other. Lily's level-headed and practical but has a ferocious temper. James is proud and is—for the most part—the most mild-mannered person I know. It's just natural for them to be attracted."

The pair sat in companionable silence for a few minutes more. Ginny smiled as she saw Hermione and Sirius dancing exuberantly—thank goodness for Eileen's last minute teaching, or Hermione would be murdering Sirius's toes.

"Umm, Ginny?" Remus asked tentatively, touching her shoulder lightly. "Would you like to take a walk?"

Ginny looked up at Remus, startled. "A walk? Of course." He smiled, levered her off the chair, and they walked together out into the immense gardens of Potter Mansion.

They chatted amiably as they walked leisurely down the curling, twisting paths in the gardens. Ginny looked around at the brightly colored, magical plants still in bloom.

But, of course, the touchy topic of lycanthropy found its way into the conversation. Ginny proved to have some very strong opinions.

"It's just bigotry, and it's wrong!" Ginny said heatedly. "You're still Remus! Werewolves are only dangerous one night out of the month! And if they take—never mind that, forget I said anything for about three years," she interrupted herself.

"Fine. No arguments here—I don't want you to get in trouble for revealing too much of the future," the lycanthrope said reasonably.

An uncomfortable silence engulfed the night.

"So it doesn't matter to you?" Remus asked finally. "You don't care about the—the lycanthropy?"

"Why would it bother me?" Ginny said quizzically. "I've been hanging around you all year!"

"Oh, right," he said quietly. "I just had to know, I guess."

"Well, now you do, I _guess_," she smiled. Remus couldn't help but smile back—it was something about Ginny that made you want to smile around her.

"Yes, I suppose so," he said lightly. She raised an eyebrow at him. He shrugged noncommittally. Both of them subconsciously reached for the other's hand. Ginny blushed when she realized what she was doing.

Remus took her small hand in his. Slightly more agreeable, they continued down the path in silence interspersed with comments on the gardening here and there. The Potters obviously had a few gardeners, judging by the size of the gardens.

Soon, they were walking through a small grove of miniature, still-green oak saplings. Ginny was a little tired, and there was a convenient bench in the grove—almost as if it had just appeared when she was watching—so naturally, she sat down, ignoring the icy coldness of the smooth white stone bench.

"You look cold," Remus offered, arms crossed.

"A little," she admitted. "But, it's actually quite warm in here, considering that it's about freezing outside this grove."

"Evergreen Charm," Remus explained.

"Right," she said a little sheepishly. Remus sat down next to the petite redhead and boldly looped his arm around her shoulders. He jerked slightly, a little startled, when she leant easily and silently into his half-embrace.

"The stars are so bright tonight," she observed quietly. "The sky is so clear here, you can see every single one."

"I love to stargaze in the wilderness," Remus agreed. "There's too much light pollution in any of the big cities to see much of anything."

"I know. I can see then really well at home. We live just outside a rural village like Godric's Hollow—it's called Ottery St. Catchpole. It's always nice to forget about Tom, Harry risking his life, and everything else, and just watch the moon rise back at the Burrow on a summer—or winter—night," she said quietly. Finally, getting annoyed by the piece of material covering half of her face, she tore off her mask and put it on the bench beside her.

"You miss it," Remus commented. "You miss your old life, with your parents, your older brothers, your home, your friends. I'd miss it all too, if I were you. You've been ripped from the world you love and you grew up in only to be flung into our turbulent one," he sympathized.

"Well, it's not like ours isn't turbulent," Ginny said practically, recalling the events of the past—future—years. "Harry's at the top of Tom Riddle's hit list—if there's anyone the Death Eaters all want to point fingers at, it's Harry—and Ron, Hermione and I aren't far behind just because we hang out with him, not to mention the fact that the entire wizarding world has rested its fate on Harry to save all their lives while managing not to get himself killed. Then, almost every adult dies when Harry needs him—or her, or they end up missing when they're needed most. So he thinks it's all his fault Sirius died, Cedric died, and his fault that Umbridge was such a monster. Then he gets all depressed when they leave and starts pushing us away." Ginny's eyes never left the sky as she spoke.

"It's getting late," Remus observed, knowing very well that Ginny wasn't looking for sympathy from him or anyone.

"It is, isn't it?" she said indifferently. "I don't care. Let's don't go back in yet—or anytime soon. Please, I want to stay out here."

"I don't particularly want to go in either," Remus said truthfully. The couple sat there a few moments, mesmerized by the night sky.

"You know," Ginny began carefully, now looking down at her lap of smooth, turquoise satin and folding and unfolding her hands, "I've always liked you. You were my favorite professor in my second year—heck, every year I was at Hogwarts, even when you weren't teaching. Then I fell out of the sky—that blasted Time-Trap, actually—onto you and I really started to get to know the real Remus. You're sweet, you've had tragedies in your life nobody even knows about, and you really care about people. I don't know how you do it, but you don't have a grudge against Peter for what he was going to do like James and Sirius do." She looked up into Remus's eyes. Their gazes locked, and neither dropped the stare. There was a very pregnant pause. Remus tore his gaze away from the girl's shining, moon-pale face after a while, looking back up at the star-strewn sky.

"Ginny, you are one extraordinary girl," Remus said finally. "I knew it when you rolled off me on that very first day that you fell from the sky."

"You mean when I didn't even look at you?" Ginny asked dryly. Remus chuckled, and Ginny smiled back at the lycanthrope.

"Yes, that just made you all the more different. Then, even though you were the youngest in the group, you knew exactly how to take charge. You didn't lie when we asked you questions, you didn't even flinch when we rushed into the dorm demanding answers. You just sat down with us and explained our entire futures. You knew what was going to happen with Peter, James and Sirius—I was surprised you didn't haul off and slug Peter when he called Harry an idiot. I mean, you know all about us, who we are, what happens to us, who the absent rat is and what he's done. You even know what you're doing, and you're twenty some years out of circuit. You've had more stress in your life than anyone would ever guess; the mess with Umbridge is only half of it. You're stronger than most think, and you know your limit better than Harry, Ron and Hermione seem to.

"Ginny, these have been the best months of my life—getting to know you and who you really are, what place you hold in the future. It's not just because you know, it's because you know me, and accept me, and you even trust me."

"And your friends don't?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, they do, but I've never felt this way around anyone before," Remus said slowly. "I've never really been this way about anyone…"

"I know what you mean," Ginny interrupted. "I feel like I've known you forever, when in truth we just met four months ago. I don't know if I could go back to living without you in my life. Remus, I think—I think—"

"I think I'm in love with you," they finished together.

"Remus," Ginny began slowly, as if in a dream. _The best dream I ever had, _she thought giddily, not taking her eyes from his.

"No, don't, Ginny," Remus said softly. "Ginny, it's just—"

"—I don't know where I'm going to be going," she finished for him. "I'm not really sure what's going on with us four, but I know how _you_ feel. This is the first time something like this has ever _really_ happened to me. I—I guess I'm really and truly in love. Remus, I just don't know what else to say."

"Don't say anything," he whispered. They leaned closer and closer together, as if in a trance. Blue-green eyes never left the gold-flecked blue just a bit above them as their lips met in a tentative kiss that sent shivers up their respective spines. Remus's eyes closed in happiness and surprise.

A warm tingling spread through Ginny. Her eyes closed dreamily as she kissed Remus back somewhat hesitantly.

The couple's first kiss could have gone on forever, and both of them would have been perfectly happy. It felt like years, or maybe centuries, or it could have even been just seconds…It was just perfect. It was teasingly brief, but wonderfully everlasting. It was tender bliss, and neither of them wanted to let it go.

Ginny pulled back, smiling shyly. Remus just stared at the girl that had just kissed him. She pressed her forehead to his with another shy smile. He pulled himself out of his daze and smiled back at the vibrant redhead in front of him. She floundered, not knowing what to say—what could she say, in any case?

"Wow," he whispered. Ginny smiled again.

"Yeah, wow," she said, her voice hoarse with emotion.

"Ginny," he began. She put a finger to his lips and said, "Shh. Leave it be, Remus. It's okay, isn't it?" she asked worriedly.

"It's perfect," he breathed. "Ginny, that was…"

"I know," she whispered back. Impulsively, he leaned down slightly and once again pressed his lips to hers.

She responded with equal passion. Her arms wrapped instinctively around his shoulders, his pulling her up into his lap. Ginny was the only person he knew who could make him shiver quite like this, the only one who knew truly what he felt and why he felt that way. Remus John Lupin didn't know (or care) about the rest of the world, but right now, he was perfectly at ease with Ginny, the only girl he knew who would ever make him happy, as he held her in his arms.

Ginny nestled against the strong body beneath her, thinking, _If this never ends, and I die sitting right here, I will have died the happiest girl on this entire earth._

BREAK

A/N: CRAP it's been a LONG time…LOL I really need to update on this cuz I have the whole story finished but I'm putting off updating it. Maybe now I'll start remembering and I'll put up a chapter once a day until it's done…sounds good to me….well, hope you enjoy! With love, LysPotter


	14. Christmas Comes But Once Each Year

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Harry Potter, would I be standing at the kitchen counter with my computer on a book about Ayurvedic Cooking listening to my brother murder "American Patrol"? Umm, no, I would be holed up in my own private library reading book after book and occasionally getting NEW books…therefore, you see, I am not JKR and I do not own it…wow I took a while to say that, but yeah. There it is.

**Previously:** Ginny and Remus come to—an understanding. They rather _enjoy_ this understanding…on with the story.

**Warnings for this Chapter: **Some swearing, more kissing, some wicked humor…I think that's it…yeah, should be.

**Chapter Fourteen:** **Christmas Comes But Once Each Year**, in which Sirius and Hermione take a walk, and James and Lily meet with a _certain_ plant. From the chapter title, one other event is presumable…

About ten minutes later (after a little bit more kissing) the flushed couple silently made their way back into the ballroom, holding hands a little timidly and talking quietly with each other. Ginny had suddenly dropped her normal, straightforward demeanor and become a bashful, lovesick girl clinging to her sweetheart's hand.

"Where were you?" Hermione appeared in front of them, hands on her hips. "And don't you dare tell me nowhere!"

"We went for a walk," Ginny said immediately. Remus nodded emphatically. Both teens' ears were turning red, however.

"Is that so?" Hermione said dubiously. Ginny blushed magenta. "If you say so. Ginny, I didn't know you could sing!"

"Well," Ginny said sheepishly. "I promised Remus I'd show him how I was on piano. I'm not really that great, 'Mione."

"I didn't know you were so musically inclined, Remus," Hermione commented. "You're really very good."

"Thanks," Remus said bashfully. Hermione's attention suddenly focused straight on the couple's gently clasped hands.

"Ahh!" she squealed happily. "Took you long enough! I must absolutely tell Lily, Remus and Ginny are finally together!" Remus and Ginny rolled their eyes at each other at the scene of Hermione's overzealous behavior.

"Hermione," Ginny tried, but the brunette was still jabbering furiously.

"Hermione," she said again, louder.

"What?"

"Remus and I aren't together," Ginny said softly. Remus's shoulders drooped. "Yet," she added mischievously.

"Oh, right, that's my cue," Remus said suddenly. "Ginny Weasley, would you like to—er, be my girlfriend?" Hermione smiled.

Ginny giggled, quite a switch from her normal frankness. She wasn't being at all normal and straightforward that night. "Of course, Remus!" she squealed happily. The petite redhead stood a little taller to kiss him gently on the cheek. "I was afraid you weren't going to ask," she said, voice returning to its normal tone and becoming wry again. "Just stay away from Ron and let me handle him, all right?" She made a wicked face in the direction of her brother, who remained thankfully oblivious to the couple's actions. Ginny liked it that way, although it was definitely not going to last. She could already picture his reaction.

"Good idea," Hermione said fervently. Remus looked a little scared. "Umm, Gin?" he asked tentatively.

"Hmm?"

"What did I get myself into here?" Ginny decided not to answer and just made another wicked face in Ron's direction.

"Ron's not necessarily good graces," Hermione said dryly, pushing a stray hair out of her eyes. "Just act really nice and decorously around him and you'll be home-free—he doesn't like anyone snogging in public."

"Unless it's him," Ginny said mutinously. "My brother's got all the emotional range of a teaspoon—and the sense of a bird."

"Well, that's nice to know," Remus said lightly. He bowed comically to Ginny. "May I have this dance, fair lady?"

"I was wondering when you would ask, brave knight," she teased him with a smile, as he led her onto the dance floor.

"Did I tell you how lovely you look tonight?" he whispered in her ear, sending slight shivers up the girl's spine as she looked up into his bright blue-gold eyes. They were filled with a depth of love she'd never encountered, and it made her feel warm up to the top.

"I don't believe so," she said, blushing a little, not like the vividly red blush she had become accustomed to around her new boyfriend.

"Well, you look like an angel, my dear Ginny."

She ducked her head in embarrassment.

Hermione sighed and smiled at the new couple.

"You look positively stunning tonight, Hermione," a voice said directly behind her. The startled teenaged girl must have jumped a foot and a half before she spun quickly around and recognized Sirius.

"Oh, er, thanks, Sirius." She blushed. Suddenly, her thoughts clamored for her to wake up. _What's happening? I don't blush—I never blush, that's Ginny! Why am I acting like a silly, lovesick girl?_

Sirius smiled. "You want to go for a walk?"

"Er, sure." _Because I am._

Sirius led her out to the same place where Ginny and Remus had kissed earlier. Hermione picked a mask up off the bench.

"This is Ginny's," she commented, looking at it with a tiny smile, thinking about what probably had happened in this grove. "I'll give it back to her later."

"Hermione," Sirius interrupted. "Look, Hermione, I think I like you," he said bluntly, not beating around the bush at all. _So much for tact, Sirius, _he thought, studying the rather shocked brunette. _Now she's going to think you're trying to get her, and she's going to get completely upset. I've been watching her long enough though,_ he decided, the tone of his thoughts becoming suddenly resolute. _I've got to ask her out sometime._ He was still decidedly nervous, not sure how his crush was going to respond to his outright declaration.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, dropping the mask in surprise. She picked it up slowly, thinking of what to say to the young man beside her. She then straightened, her eyes cold, her back ramrod straight as she said the words that were going to send the young man before her into a sort of grim despair. "You don't really mean it," she said softly. "I've heard about you. It's a different girl every week, Sirius. If you came out here to try to get me to be your girl for the week, you can think again. Sorry, I have to leave." Iron control could be heard in her voice. Sirius's head dropped into his hands as she stormed off.

"Well, you blew that one, Padfoot," he told himself. "Total disaster. Try to tell the girl you love her, and she storms off." He sat there a moment longer. He wished, just for a moment, that he had a father who cared for and understood him. Mr. Potter was nice, but he had James to worry over. Sometimes, Sirius wondered if there was really a place for him. Sirius Orion Black's head dropped further into his hands. Hogwarts couldn't come back soon enough for him. So much for a romantic evening.

BREAK

The next day, Ginny was in a difficulty. She'd have to talk to Ron about everything, not to mention that she'd forgotten to wrap her Christmas presents. She chanced a quick look in a spell-book she found on the shelf in her bedroom and found a wrapping charm, which she thankfully used on all the presents just sitting innocently on her bed, grateful for the magic that she could use in secrecy in the Mansion. She glared at them, muttering, "Bloody things. Bane of my existence."

She still didn't know what to say to Ron. She could go with, "Hey, Ron, look, I'm going out with Remus. Please don't murder him, he's a nice guy."

Or, how about, "Look, Ron, me and Remus got together, I really like him and he likes life"?

Or, maybe, "Hey, Ron, I've got a boyfriend, his name's Remus Lupin and I'll hex you into oblivion if you hurt him in any way, shape, or form. Understand?" She just sighed and carried her presents downstairs to the small living room where they were holding Christmas celebration.

It was only nine o'clock, so most of the occupants of the house were still asleep after the ball ended at midnight. Lily and James had somehow formed a compromise and now would "often hold civilized conversations"—or so they said, anyhow.

Ginny smiled mischievously and conjured a piece of mistletoe. She floated it to a spot over the door and hung it up. It was invisible unless you were already in the room, so she knew some couples were going to get caught.

Remus was the only other person in the room. He smiled at her antics and pulled her into the room, embracing her a little timidly. She smiled at him, hugging back tightly, and put the gifts under the smaller tree in this room.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked conversationally.

"Quite well," he replied, sitting down next to her on a small couch in the room. "You?"

"Great," she smiled. "This morning, however, I was plagued with thoughts of how to tell Ron that I would appreciate it if he left my love life to me."

"Oh," Remus said lamely. "Tell him that it's his business if he wants to talk to me," he said a little nervously.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of, 'Look, Ron, accept fate or I'll hex you,' but that works too."

"You're violent," he said.

"I know, hopelessly so," she said shamelessly. "It comes of growing up with five older brothers, dear sir. Everyone else is still asleep, then?"

"Far as I know," he shrugged. He shook his head "No, I spoke too soon. Look, here come James and Lily. Don't tell me…" His eyes flicked up to the mistletoe. Ginny nodded impishly, sticking her tongue out at the oblivious couple.

Ginny smiled mischievously. They stopped short in the doorway when they saw her devilish face, a little worried in spite of themselves.

"That look makes me nervous," James commented.

"What's so funny?" Lily asked anxiously, seeming as nervous as James. Remus pointed above the couple's heads. Lily looked up and sighed a little resignedly. James looked up and gasped in mysterious shock. Remus just looked questioningly at him. It was mistletoe; it was Christmas. It was nothing new.

"You pranked a Marauder!" he said in amazement. "Ginny, you never cease to amaze the unassuming. You're too small to be so devious!"

"I know, isn't it great?" Ginny agreed, tossing her curls.

"That was a strange comment," Remus observed.

"Well, you can't come out of there until you kiss," Ginny said, voice businesslike. "You know the rules." James rolled his eyes and looked at Lily.

"But I risk getting slapped," he whined.

"James," Lily said suddenly, "kiss me." He started and looked at Lily, as if to say, _Someone smack me, I'm having a very good dream here_.

"Fine," he said dubiously, leaning down and kissing the girl he'd loved for about four years now. He waited for the slap that never came. He pulled away quickly so he could protect himself, trying to ignore the shivers racing up and down his spine.

"James, I'm not going to slap you," Lily said in exasperation. "Just because you used to be an egotistical prat doesn't mean I really feel that I should slap you."

"You're kidding. So you don't think I'm an egotistical prat anymore?" James asked. "In that case, Lily Evans, would you like to be my girlfriend?"

"Of course!" Lily answered, smiling. James looked dumbstruck. "If you had tried to get me to be your friend earlier rather than just try to get me to be your girlfriend, things would have gone a lot smoother, James Andrew Potter."

"I didn't know that," he said sheepishly. "I was still young and stupid, Lily, don't hold it against me. I wasn't serious then."

"You never were; he's not here. I'm not holding it against you," Lily told him matter-of-factly. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the mouth. "I love you because of it."

"Took you long enough," Remus commented. "If all I'd've had to do to get James together with you and stopped from whining about his undeniable love for Lily was stick a piece of mistletoe over their heads, I would have done it ages ago."

"Gee, thanks, Moony. It's not like we've all been waiting for you and Ginny to get together, is it?" James said sarcastically. "Whoops, did I say that out loud?"

"Yes," Remus said with a smile. "Wish granted, Prongs. Happy Christmas, Ginny and I are dating." Lily squealed and hugged both of them. Remus shook his head.

"If I'd known that was going to happen, I wouldn't have said anything," he joked. Lily stuck her tongue out at him. "Aren't we mature?"

"Finally!" James exclaimed. "How long have we been waiting now?"

"Almost three months," Lily and Ginny said together.

"You counted?" James asked, bewildered.

"Yes. Kind of like Alice and Frank," Ginny observed. One hand clenched into a fist as she thought about the Alice she'd seen at St. Mungo's versus the pretty blonde she knew now. Voldemort was going down—even if she had to kill him herself.

She pressed down hard on Remus's hand reflexively. He looked up at her quizzically. "Voldemort," she mouthed. He nodded, understanding.

"It's a bit early to be up," Harry commented as he entered the room, stretching.

"You're just one of those crazy people who never does what he says are the rules," Ginny countered.

"Oh well," Harry said nonchalantly. "What's going on?"

"Well, it would appear that your parents finally got together," Ginny told the boy hero matter-of-factly.

"Really?" Harry had dropped the cup of hot chocolate he was holding. Using the quick reflexes any born Quidditch player had, Ginny caught the cup quickly before it shattered on the floor.

"Harry! You might want to be a little bit more careful in your dear young grandparents' house!" James teased.

"Oh, shut up, James," he muttered, "I didn't think you two would ever get to it."

"Well, surprise!" James conjured confetti to fall over Harry's head. Harry glared at James.

"He doesn't like your confetti, James," Lily said flatly.

"Big surprise there," Harry said sarcastically.

"Harry," Lily warned.

"Shutting up." His gaze transferred to Ginny and Remus. Ginny had handed him his drink and sat back down on the couch—or, well, Remus's lap. "Don't tell me," Harry said slowly, covering his eyes.

"Oh, yes, right, you don't know," Ginny blustered. "Remus and I are dating—well, sort of anyway," she blushed.

"Good, it took you long enough," Harry said fervently.

"Why is everyone saying that?"

"Because it did take a long time. You and Moony tiptoed around it ever since the Ron incident," James said seriously.

"Right," Harry agreed emphatically. "Uh-oh, man of the moment, here comes Ron now." Ginny sighed gustily, head dropping into her hands. She was the complete picture of a dejected younger sister. Lily giggled at the look of Ginny compared to her boyfriend's resigned but slightly scared expression. Then her head jerked up with good-natured dismay. She looked suddenly toward Ron and back at the other occupants of the room.

"Dammit," Ginny said suddenly, snapping her fingers. "I didn't have time to think of a decent biting speech."

"Ginny, language," Remus, Lily, and Harry said together.

"Shut up," she waved them off.

Ron walked into the room and immediately saw her sister on Remus's lap.

"What the hell is going on?" he yelled. "What is my sister doing in your lap, Remus? What happened yesterday that no one bothered to tell me about?"

"Well," Ginny began, torturously slow. "There's not a lot to tell. You see, Remus and I—er, talked last night. We found we had a lot in common, and we liked each other. In short, we're dating each other, all right? Don't even draw your wand, Ronald Arthur Weasley. And I am not joking. Not at all. Put it away." Ron sputtered an excuse. "No, Ronald, I am not going to take this. Remus is not Dean or anyone else, and you're going to leave him alone. You can't argue here," she interrupted when he opened his mouth again.

"I don't even want to know if they've had this conversation before," James whispered to Harry.

"Hmm, probably twice. There was Michael Corner—and then there was Dean Thomas, but those were just flings, I guess," Harry returned.

"Oh, okay," Remus whispered back, even though he hadn't been part of the original conversation. "She sounds awfully practiced. I'm sure this conversation has been used for more than just that one thing, though."

"Well, whatever I do must immediately be relayed to Ron," Ginny said sarcastically, throwing a dirty look at her brother. "We've had the 'put away your wooden stick that blasts colored light when it actually works' conversation at least fifteen times in my present—sorry, future memory. Although it seems more like fifteen hundred times."

"Ginny," Ron whined.

"Shut up," she said without batting an eyelash. "Remus and I deserve this, Mr. Won-Won. Don't think I didn't notice you and 'Lav-Lav' last year. I can see as well as the next person." Ron blushed and stowed his wand in his back pocket.

"Don't do that!" Harry and Ginny exclaimed in mock horror. "Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know. Constant vigilance!"

"Who let Moody in?" Hermione joked as she entered the room, followed closely by a depressed-looking Sirius.

"I know, that man," Ginny laughed.

"Well, to quote a great wizard, 'He sounds exactly like Moody. "Constant vigilance!" You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls…'" Hermione teased. "He seemed upset about something when he told me that."

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. "That was right before the damned Yule Ball that I took Parvati to. I was on tenterhooks—you know how I can't dance."

"Could've fooled me," Hermione muttered. "You and Lynn were getting on right well, if I read the signs in the right way."

Harry flushed. "She's a good dancer—_she_ led _me_."

"Sure," Hermione said knowingly. Ginny winked at him.

"You're not suggesting that Harry has a crush on Lynn?" Ron asked, a little incredulous—as always.

"Trust me, I think they are," Remus said dryly. "We men are always the last to see it, you know."

"Finally figured it out?" Ginny said cheekily.

"Watch it, Miss Weasley," Lily teased.

"Shut up, Lily." She sat on the couch, steepled her fingers before her, and said, "So who's up for presents? Or is it food?"

"You know," James said hesitantly, "that's not an easy question."

"Yeah, it's _presents_," Sirius said, pained. "Or _food_," he added longingly. He looked up at the ceiling as if waiting for divine intervention.

"The two greatest loves of Sirius's life," Remus said dryly.

"Well, since we're here, why don't we open presents?" Ginny said practically. "Then we can go find something to eat."

"Sounds good," the noncommittal comments came from the rest of the group. Ginny clapped her hands and said, "To business, then."

"Everyone open mine first," Lily insisted.

"Fine," the room muttered. "No problem," James added with a smile. Lily just smiled back. Ginny passed around everyone's presents from Lily.

Ron ripped off his paper first (surprise, surprise) to find a poster of a Muggle soccer team. Lily had obviously charmed the poster's occupants into movement.

"Wow, Lily! Thanks!" he exclaimed. "Maybe now I'll understand all this soccer nonsense Dean yattered about for years."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that," Remus interrupted. "Is this Dean Thomas character related to our Mike at all?"

"Most likely—he's a black 'Muggle-born' kid at school in our time," Ginny confirmed. "He's a little odd, if I do say so myself."

"Well, who was going out with him?" Harry asked. "Definitely not me," he added with a smile.

"Ugh, Harry, shut your mouth before you put your foot in it any more than you already have," Hermione said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Hermione! Nice to know no one supports me."

"Live with it," Hermione said carelessly. She next tore off the wrapping paper on her present to reveal a book—what else?

"Ohh! Lily, I don't know how—where'd you find something like this?" Hermione squealed, showing them all the book, entitled Befuddling Magic: The Ultimate Book for Tricky Magical Questions, by Jenny Arthurs.

"Flourish and Blott's—in Hogsmeade."

"I've got to check out their selection sometime," Hermione said, already opening the book and reading like mad.

"Hermione, wait, I'm sure there are other books there," Ginny teased.

But Ginny was soon distracted when James opened his present. He pulled out—wait for it—another book! This one read, Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts. James gasped and hugged it to his chest.

"What is it, Prongs?" Sirius asked casually from a chair across the room.

"Saucy Tricks, Padfoot!" he squealed, sounding uncannily like a girl. "Lily, you are the Marauders' new best friend," James stated officiously. "We'll have to give you a name as soon as possible."

"And Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I don't get one?" Ginny asked in mock-offense.

"Why would we give _you _nicknames?" Sirius sniffed disdainfully.

"Because," Ginny said, as if it explained everything.

"Later, maybe," James said carelessly. "Hey, Harry, open yours and see what _Mum_ gave you for Christmas," he teased, bringing Lily's hand into contact with his head. "Oww! Lily, what was that for?"

"That comment was unnecessary," Lily said stiffly. Harry shrugged and opened his Christmas present from—well, his mum.

It was—a book.

"What did you do, Lily, go crazy at Flourish and Blott's?" Hermione laughed. Ginny looked exasperated, having remembered Hermione's interminable trips to the bookstore.

"Well, I suppose," Lily floundered.

"Powers You Never Knew You Had and What to Do with Them Now You've Wised Up?" Harry asked.

"Wasn't that one of the books you had out during the second task?" Hermione asked. "Before Ron was so _interesting_ and such a _hero_," she added in an irritated tone of voice. "For getting put underwater by flipper-prone people—in an enchanted lake. I think it was a book you had out."

"You have a photographic memory," Ron muttered. "And I wasn't that bad. So the girls thought I was a hero."

"Yeah, I think so anyway," Harry said carelessly, effectively cutting off any argument between the two. "Maybe there's a section in here—_How to Get Rid of a Psychotic Dark Lord Who's Been Trying to Kill You Since Birth_. Hmm." He opened the book and scanned the table of contents, exaggerated faces of shock or surprise written all over his face.

"Nope. Nothing on love, either, and that's all Dumbledore would say I had." Harry sighed and sat down with the huge book on his lap.

"Wait, wait," Sirius said as he peeled back one edge of his paper. "I know—it's a Transfiguration text."

"Charms, actually," Lily deadpanned. "Go on, keep unwrapping," she ordered.

"Fine, fine! Didn't mean to upset the Great Mistress," Sirius muttered. He finished, and looked at it. "A bloody book. Merlin, Lily! You really did go crazy at Flourish and Blott's!"

Sirius opened various presents at a rather alarming speed, his last choice being a book from Hermione on Transfiguration.

"Well, I figured since you're an Ani—good at Transfiguration," she interrupted herself with a blush.

"Nice one, Hermione," Ginny smiled. Hermione blushed brighter and picked up another present with her name on it from under it.

"Who's this from?" she asked no one in particular. No one answered. She shrugged and pulled away the paper. It revealed a box. She opened the box carefully and gasped in surprise.

She pulled out a shirt, a beautiful deep blue, with transfigureable words. Right now, they read, "SORRY" in soft yellow. There was a red heart and a small dog following it. Hermione's eyes found Sirius's blue ones and she mouthed, "Thank you," at him. He looked down in embarrassment, then looked back into Hermione's chocolate-brown orbs.

"Okay, so what happened last night?" Remus whispered to Ginny. Ginny just shrugged noncommittally.

"I don't know," she said, perplexed.

"Well, looks like it's fixed now," James said diplomatically. Hermione and Sirius still hadn't dropped each other's gazes.

"Well," Ginny said loudly. She saw a familiar lumpy package under the tree. "Oh no," she heard Ron mutter as he saw it. She pulled the package from under the tree. There was a card there. She pulled it off and opened it.

"_Dear Ginny-the-Fourth-Cousin,_" she read aloud with a slight smile, "_This was the best I could do on such short notice. I heard your brother Ron was also here, so I covered him as well. Best Regards, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, and Percy Weasley_." She smiled at Ron, a little sardonically. "Oh, look! Mum sent us both lovely Weasley jumpers! And what do you want to bet that yours is maroon and mine's blue?"

"No betting. She'll even like that horrid color now," Ron said, covering his eyes. Ginny ripped open the paper. Sure enough, there was a maroon sweater with a big letter "R" on the front in gold. Underneath was a blue sweater with a "G" on it. Ginny smiled mischievously and yanked the sweater over Ron's head. Then she pulled hers on over her long-sleeved shirt. She prodded the "G" with her wand. Ron looked at her like she was crazy before the "G" disappeared into a patch of the same blue wool.

"Can I change the color?" he asked in awe.

"Try," she suggested. He easily changed the color to burgundy-red, half a shade lighter.

"And that's different because?" Hermione asked.

"Hey, that was an accident!" Ron exclaimed.

Later, after breakfast and the rest of the presents, the eight teens returned to the living room. Ginny, still wearing her mother's sweater with a flower she'd received from Remus in her hair, told stories about all the times Ron had gotten a maroon sweater before, having them all in stitches of laughter before much later.

BREAK

A/N: Wow am I getting constant! Second day in a row!

As before, this romance sucks, but oh well, live with it, cuz it's the best I can do. In case you were wondering why there are a lot of secondary characters, it's because GINNY and REMUS are the main characters so much that they overshadow everyone else and they get little story space…I'm sorry. If you want more main characters, read my other stories. This one is old and I'm still working on refining my style—obviously, I'm only thirteen…LOL.

I'm hoping for any constructive criticism possible on this story, so if anyone has anything to add that I may have missed out (and not that Ginny has brown eyes, I know but I don't care. I needed her eyes to be that color in this story), PLEASE tell me.

Lotsa love from your friendly Aussieland writer,

LysPotter


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